The shamans and designer handbags before Yoon Suk Yeol's insurrection conviction

Yoon Suk Yeol was ferried to the Seoul court in a prison bus, then stood ashen faced as the verdict was handed down against him.

The ex-South Korean president first rose to national prominence in a courtroom — albeit on the opposite side, as lead of the prosecution of another former Korean president over a corruption scandal.

Now he too has walked the well-worn path from Korea's highest office to a jail cell.

The 65-year-old was found guilty of leading an insurrection and on Thursday was sentenced to life imprisonment, with the judges finding he planned to seize unchecked power when he sent the military onto the streets of Seoul a little over a year ago.

The ousted leader had been facing the possibility of the death sentence, which prosecutors were pushing for.

Yoon's short-lived martial law declaration came after a tumultuous era with scandals related to shamanism, Chanel bags and conspiracy theories.

The support of a shaman

Yoon has been fronting eight different trials in the wake of his failed attempt to force the country under military rule in late 2024.

Four of the trials are directly related to the military action, covering charges from resisting arrest to insurrection.

The other four trials include perjury, violations of the political funds act and obstruction of an investigation into a marine death.

He has already appealed against a five-year jail term handed down last month for obstructing arrest attempts, after he barricaded himself inside the presidential compound for weeks after his impeachment.

But yesterday's case was based on the most serious charge of insurrection and rebellion.

His legal team has said they will discuss appealing the life sentence that was handed down, saying it was a "pre-written script".

"Watching what appears to be a collapse of the rule of law today, I am compelled to question whether we should proceed with an appeal or continue to participate in these criminal proceedings at all," one member of the legal team, Yoon Kab-Keun, said.

Yoon cited "anti-state forces" when he made his martial law declaration in December 2024, claiming it was to "eradicate pro-North Korean forces" so he could "protect the constitutional democratic order".

Yoon's unproven claims about the country's opposition being North Korean sympathisers and conspiracy theories about elections being rigged resonated with many of his supporters.

After Yoon was impeached, it was revealed that his former military advisor turned spiritual advisor, Noh Sang Won, allegedly pushed for conflict with North Korea to justify the martial law decree.

Noh was once chief of the Defence Intelligence Command but he was convicted in 2018 of inappropriate behaviour towards a female cadet.

He went on to set up a fortune-telling business and became a close confidant of Yoon's.

It has been alleged he consulted shamans and pushed for a conflict with North Korea to justify the martial law decree, with a notebook belonging to Noh allegedly stating "induce North Korea's provocation at the Northern Limit Line".

Professor Kyung Moon Hwang from the Australian National University said amid the crimes Yoon has been found guilty of, the potential use of shamans "might turn out to be a seedy and not terribly significant side story to all of this".

"The shamanistic elements, if they're proven to be legitimate, I think would probably not even make the top 10 in terms of the very terrible things that were done to prepare for and to try to execute this attempted takeover by Yoon."

Diamond pendant necklace seized

Among those side stories is the scandal that has engulfed Yoon's wife, Kim Keon Hee, in recent years.

During Yoon's presidential campaign in 2021, it was claimed she inflated her academic achievements and credentials and she was forced to apologise.

But a bigger scandal emerged during her husband's presidency when it was claimed she accepted luxury gifts — including two Chanel bags, a diamond pendant and other gifts — from officials of the Unification Church in exchange for political favours.

She was later sentenced to 20 months in jail for accepting the bribes, but was found not guilty of other charges, including stock price manipulation and violating the political funds act. Prosecutors are planning to appeal.

The court ordered the confiscation of the necklace.

Kim's lawyer said the team would review her conviction ruling, and decide whether to appeal.

The former first lady has also come under intense public scrutiny because of her association with a political broker and shaman amid concerns he had undue influence over the former first couple.

When Yoon came to power, he moved the presidential residency away from the traditional Blue House, at an estimated cost of $AUD64 million.

At the time, he declared it a "symbol of imperial power", but it was widely reported that he believed the house was cursed.

It's understood he blamed the curse for the number of presidents who suffered dire ends after their time in office.

But if a curse was responsible, moving house clearly did not protect Yoon.

South Korea's troubled presidential history

While Yoon is the first sitting president to be arrested, he is far from the first leader to end up in the dock.

Four former Korean presidents have been imprisoned, although none have served their full sentences.

Unlike Yoon, they were arrested and investigated after leaving office.

Roh Tae-woo, Chun Doo-hwan, Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak were convicted on charges ranging from bribery to insurrection.

But all were eventually released on special pardons.

Yoon led the prosecution of Park Geun-hye in 2018, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison over a vast corruption scandal.

She was later pardoned by Yoon's presidential predecessor.

After Yoon came to power, he then pardoned Lee Myung-bak.

Professor Hwang said it was "disappointing" Yoon hadn't been given the death penalty for the insurrection charge, given the evidence laid out by the judge.

South Korea hasn't executed anyone in more than 30 years, so in practice it would amount to a life in prison, but he said it would have acted as a greater deterrent for future leaders and members of the public who support a "strong man" mentality.

He said the danger to the democratic system "as a whole" was what most people were focusing on and "where the greatest danger may lie in the future as well".

"The larger issues surrounding Yoon's family, his wife, those things I think ultimately will be proven not as important as the fundamental crime here — that is, his militaristic, violent attempt to shut down the National Assembly," he said.

Will Yoon remain behind bars?

When Yoon made his late-night martial law declaration, ordinary Koreans took to the streets to meet the military.

Since then, both those who support and oppose him have been coming back almost weekly.

The country remains deeply divided in the wake of the political crisis.

As Yoon's sentence was handed down, both supporters and detractors braved the freezing conditions to witness it.

They jeered as the verdict was given and some claimed it represented the "collapse of the rule of law".

Byun In Sook travelled from the outskirts of Seoul to support Yoon, hoping to see a dismissal of indictment.

Those who wanted to see Yoon receive a harsher penalty also felt democracy was at risk.

"I really think it should have been the death sentence so that this doesn't become an example to repeat — martial law must never be allowed," 65-year-old Ko Jeong-suk said.

As Yoon's legal team considers an appeal, other residents expressed concerns that the sentence may be reduced, or that he may receive a pardon, as other former leaders have.

Professor Hwang said while he "shouldn't say never", he believed it would be "very difficult for someone, even a conservative president" to pardon Yoon given the prevailing public sentiment.