Prosecutors demand death for former South Korean president Yoon over failed martial law

South Korean prosecutors have asked for the death penalty for former president Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed December 2024 martial law declaration, in what the authorities describe as the first insurrection trial of a Korean head of state in three decades. Prosecutors told Seoul central district court the case represented the "serious destruction of constitutional order by anti-state forces" and said Yoon had "directly and fundamentally infringed upon the safety of the state and the survival and freedom of the people." Under South Korea's criminal code, insurrection ringleader charges carry three possible sentences: death, life imprisonment with labour, or life imprisonment without labour.

A verdict is expected in mid-February. They also sought life imprisonment with labour for former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun, saying he had "moved as one body" with Yoon. Prosecutors said Yoon deployed troops to the national assembly on the night of 3 December 2024, allegedly ordering them to prevent lawmakers voting to lift his martial law.

The six-hour crisis ended when 190 MPs broke through military cordons to pass an emergency resolution that forced Yoon to back down; parliament impeached him on 14 December and the constitutional court removed him from office in April 2025. Prosecutors told the court Yoon began planning the operation before October 2023 to "monopolise power through long-term rule," placing military personnel in key positions.

Key Topics

Politics, Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea, Martial Law, Insurrection Trial, Kim Yong-hyun