▲ Jang Dong-hyeok, leader of the main opposition People Power Party, attends a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul on Feb. 20, 2026, a day after a court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison for his failed bid to impose martial law in 2024. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) PPP-ex-president

(LEAD) PPP leader voices regret as ex-President Yoon sentenced to life in prison for leading insurrection

(ATTN: ADDS response from lawmakers in 9-13)

By Yi Wonju

SEOUL, Feb. 20 (Yonhap) -- The leader of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Friday voiced regret as former President Yoon Suk Yeol was handed life in prison for leading insurrection over his short-lived imposition of martial law.

Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok made the remark during a press conference at the National Assembly, in a thinly veiled indication that the conservative party may have no intention of fully severing ties with the ousted president, although the martial law crisis had thrown the nation into one of its worst cases of political turmoil in decades.

Special prosecutors had sought the death penalty against Yoon, but the court sentenced Yoon to life imprisonment although finding him guilty of leading an insurrection over the Dec. 3 martial law in 2024.

South Korea has overcome the political crisis from the martial law turmoil and reaffirmed its democratic resilience, but the conservative party has remained deeply divided over the aftermath of the martial law saga.

"This is only the first verdict," Jang told reporters. "The right to be presumed innocent must be applied equally to everyone without exception."

Jang said the PPP has consistently maintained that Yoon's martial law declaration does not necessarily amount to insurrection, noting that many legal experts and constitutional scholars share the same view.

He added that the court failed to prove that Yoon's short-lived martial law imposition constituted an insurrection.

"The first verdict failed to provide sufficient evidence and explanation to overturn this argument," he said.

In an apparent dismissal of calls for him to sever ties with the former president, Jang said, "Reiterating such calls for an apology and severing ties only sows the seeds of division.

"Those pushing to divide the party under the pretext of severing ties with the president are, in fact, the ones we need to firmly end ties with," he added, targeting PPP lawmakers who have called for a break with Yoon.

Jang's remarks drew criticism from former party chief Han Dong-hoon and lawmakers aligned with him, as the embattled party faces a growing internal rift ahead of the June 3 local elections.

In a Facebook post, Han said the party should instead cut off Jang himself in order to win the elections, warning that the conservative party will "die unless it does."

"Our party must sever ties with Jang, who is defending the insurrection," Rep. Han Zee-a also wrote on her Facebook.

He further took aim at President Lee Jae Myung, arguing that Lee has suspended all five of his trials by exercising presidential immunity, and called on the court to immediately resume the trials.

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