The Democratic Party of Korea argued that Yoon Suk-yeol, the former president, should have been sentenced to death after receiving life imprisonment on charges of being the ringleader of an insurrection. In particular, it criticized the court for considering as a sentencing factor that the Dec. 3 martial law failed.
Jung Chung-rae, the Democratic Party leader, said at the supreme council meeting held at the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 19th, "The statutory penalty for a ringleader of an insurrection is at most death and at least life imprisonment," and "By sentencing life imprisonment instead of death to the ringleader of the insurrection, Jo Hee-de's judiciary shook judicial justice."
He added, "I think it is a very inadequate ruling that goes against the public's sense of justice," and "I believe Jo Hee-de's judiciary is a clear retreat from the 'revolution of light' that rushed to the National Assembly during the Dec. 3 martial law and shouted at the top of their lungs for Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment and removal."
Jung also emphasized, "Since the appeals court and Supreme Court rulings are still ahead, we will not let our guard down," and "We will bring every speck of insurrection to the judgment seat of the law and break with the past that tormented us."
Park Soo-hyun, the Democratic Party's chief spokesperson, said in a written briefing, "A court that left in the history of Korea's judiciary the absurd ruling that even the ringleader of an insurrection gets a reduction if of advanced age and with no criminal record will not be able to avoid public condemnation," and added, "The Democratic Party will not stop on the path to ending the insurrection and completing judicial reform. We will return the judiciary to the people as the bulwark of human rights and the venue for realizing justice."
Democratic Party lawmakers also vented their dissatisfaction with the judiciary via social networking services (SNS) immediately after the sentencing. Lee Sung-yoon, a Democratic Party supreme council member, wrote on Facebook, "The court's life sentence for Yoon Suk-yeol, the ringleader of an insurrection—can you possibly accept this?" Ahn Jun-ho, a lawmaker from the same party, said, "Life imprisonment for the ringleader of an insurrection is leniency. Death is justice."
Park Ju-min, a Democratic Party lawmaker, also said, "If a successful insurrection goes unpunished and a failed insurrection gets a reduced sentence, then how on earth are we supposed to properly punish insurrection?" From the same party, Noh Jong-myeon said, "Judge Jee Kui-youn listed restraint from physical force, failure, no criminal record, long public service, and being relatively advanced in age as favorable sentencing factors for Yoon Suk-yeol. That is why he was sentenced to life imprisonment instead of death."
The Democratic Party is also moving to amend the amnesty law to prevent the former president Yoon from being pardoned. Kim Yong-min, a Democratic Party lawmaker who is the ruling party secretary on The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, said, "We will make sure to pass the amendment to the amnesty law that bans pardons for insurrectionists." The Legislation and Judiciary Committee plans to hold a subcommittee on bills on the 20th to review the amendment to the amnesty law.