Counsel urges death penalty for former South Korean leader Yoon over martial law declaration
An independent counsel on Tuesday called for a death sentence for former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol over charges of rebellion tied to his brief declaration of martial law in December 2024.
Yoon, who was removed from office in April, faces eight separate trials involving criminal charges linked to his martial law order and other controversies from his presidency. The rebellion charges are considered the most serious. Independent counsel Cho Eun-suk’s team formally asked the Seoul Central District Court to impose the death penalty. Analysts, however, expect the court is more likely to hand down a life sentence, noting that South Korea has not carried out an execution since 1997. The court is scheduled to issue a verdict in February.
At the hearing, Yoon defended his decree as a peaceful effort to raise public awareness about what he saw as obstruction by the liberal opposition Democratic Party, which he accused of undermining his agenda. He described the opposition-controlled parliament as “a den of criminals” and “anti-state forces.” His martial law order, the first in more than 40 years, deployed troops to Seoul streets to surround the National Assembly and access election offices, evoking memories of authoritarian-era crackdowns in the 1970s and 1980s.
The decree triggered mass protests outside the National Assembly, where thousands demanded his resignation. Lawmakers, including members of Yoon’s own party, ultimately voted to reject the order. Parliament impeached him, and the Constitutional Court confirmed his dismissal.
Yoon’s fall from power was dramatic for the former star prosecutor who had won the presidency in 2022. His impeachment led to a snap election last June, which brought former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae Myung to office. Lee subsequently appointed three independent counsels to investigate allegations involving Yoon, his wife, Kim Keon Hee, and close associates.
Independent counsel Cho’s team concluded that Yoon had plotted for over a year to impose martial law to suppress political rivals and consolidate power. His actions caused widespread political turmoil, disrupted South Korea’s diplomacy, and unsettled financial markets. In January of the previous year, Yoon became the first sitting South Korean president to be detained, intensifying political divisions.
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