[비즈한국] "This social cost is such immense damage that even in the eyes of the court, it must be considered incalculable."
Presiding Judge Ji Gwi-yeon of the 25th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court stated this while sentencing former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was indicted on charges of leading an insurrection, to life imprisonment. This comes 443 days after the declaration of martial law.
The court's reasoning for the sentencing was meticulous, ranging from the understandable to the complex. Legal judgments followed, covering the purpose of violating the constitutional order, the establishment of a riot, and the undermining of core democratic values. Amidst this, 'the economy' was mentioned. The decline in external trust in the military and police, the fall in national credit rating, the intensification of social conflict, and the suffering experienced by the people. The court grouped these together and described them as "immense social costs."
