An independent prosecutor urged the imposition of capital punishment for former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of rebellion linked to his brief declaration of martial law in December 2024. Yoon, ousted from office in April and currently in custody, is facing multiple trials for various offenses stemming from the martial law incident and other controversies during his tenure. The most serious allegation against him is that of orchestrating a rebellion.
The legal team led by independent counsel Cho Eun-suk formally requested the Seoul Central District Court to hand down a death sentence to Yoon, labeling his actions as “anti-state activities” and a “self-coup.” They claimed that Yoon’s intent was to extend his authority by undermining the constitutional framework of government.
During his appearance at the courtroom, Yoon criticized the investigations into his rebellion charges, denouncing them as “overzealous” and accusing them of being tainted by “manipulation” and “distortion.” Yoon, a conservative figure, reiterated that his declaration was a desperate measure to alert the public to what he perceived as threats from the liberal opposition Democratic Party, which impeded his policy agenda with its parliamentary dominance. He argued that the exercise of presidential emergency powers should not be classified as an act of rebellion.
The court is anticipated to render a verdict in February, with experts predicting a probable life imprisonment sentence for Yoon. South Korea has not carried out any executions since 1997, and the imposition of the death penalty by local courts has been rare in recent times.
Yoon stands as the first former South Korean president facing the possibility of a death penalty post-presidency since the case of former military leader Chun Doo-hwan, who received a death sentence in 1996 for instigating a military coup in 1979. Chun’s death sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment and eventually led to his pardon and release.
Yoon’s martial law decree, a unique move in over four decades, involved the deployment of armed forces in Seoul to encircle the National Assembly and election offices. While no major injuries were reported, the incident evoked memories of past dictatorships where military-backed regimes employed martial law to suppress pro-democracy movements.
Following Yoon’s martial law announcement, thousands gathered at the National Assembly to protest and demand his resignation. A sufficient number of lawmakers, including some from Yoon’s own party, convened to vote down the decree in the assembly hall.
Observers characterized Yoon’s actions as political suicide, marking a dramatic downfall for the former prominent prosecutor who ascended to the presidency in 2022, only a year after entering politics. The National Assembly impeached him and forwarded the case to the Constitutional Court, which ultimately removed him from office.
Yoon’s decree and subsequent power vacuum threw South Korea into political turmoil, disrupting high-level diplomacy and unsettling financial markets. Lee Jae Myung, a former Democratic Party leader who spearheaded Yoon’s impeachment process, assumed the presidency in a snap election held last June. After assuming office, Lee appointed three independent counsels to investigate allegations involving Yoon, his spouse, and associates.
The presidential office expressed its expectation for the judiciary to handle Yoon’s case in accordance with the law, principles, and public expectations. Speculation had circulated that Yoon’s imposition of martial law was a bid to shield his wife, Kim Keon Hee, from potential corruption probes. However, after concluding a six-month probe last month, independent counsel Cho’s team determined that Yoon had orchestrated a prolonged scheme to declare martial law, aiming to eliminate his political adversaries and consolidate power.