@jannem That's a fair point, and I think you may be right that a life sentence is harder to argue against on legal or moral grounds than a death sentence would be. The “this punishment is inhumane” argument essentially disappears.

My remaining concern is less about the courts and more about the presidential pardon. In South Korea, the president can unilaterally pardon anyone, and historically this power has been used as a political card rather than a matter of justice. Chun Doo-hwan's pardon wasn't really about whether his sentence was too harsh—it was a political calculation ahead of an election. So I worry that no matter how legally solid the sentence is, a future president could still undo it for reasons that have nothing to do with whether the punishment was proportionate.

That said, I'll admit this is more of a general anxiety about the pardon system than a specific prediction. Maybe the political cost of pardoning someone convicted of insurrection would be too high for any president to seriously consider. I hope so.

@hongminhee
I don't think you're wrong about the pardon.

There's a reason deposed kings and dictators have historically had a very short life expectancy after losing power. Their very existence caused political turmoil, and a convenient accident neatly solved the issue.