Seoul: South Korean former President Yoon Suk Yeol has filed an appeal against his conviction and life sentence for leading an insurrection related to his failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024, local media reported Tuesday. Yoon's legal team filed the appeal five days after the Seoul Central District Court sentenced him to life imprisonment.

According to Anadolu Agency, Yoon's lawyers have issued a statement challenging both the legal reasoning and broader implications of the verdict. They emphasized their responsibility to highlight the issues with the decision, not only for court records but also for future historical documentation. The legal team accused prosecutors of pursuing an 'overzealous indictment' and criticized what they described as contradictions in the lower court's decision.

Yoon was handed a life sentence last Thursday for his role as an "insurrection ringleader" in connection with his attempt to impose martial law. In addition to the life sentence, Yoon was sentenced last month to five years in prison on charges related to obstructing investigators' efforts to detain him the previous year. The ousted president has faced a total of eight trial proceedings, including two convictions.