Prosecutors seek death penalty for former South Korean president

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for former South Korean President Yoon Seok Yeol, who is accused of leading a rebellion in connection with a failed attempt to impose martial law on the night of December 4, 2024.

This is reported by The Korea Times and BBC.

A Seoul court heard closing arguments in Yoonʼs trial. He denies the charges and says martial law was a symbolic gesture to draw public attention to the opposition Democratic Partyʼs wrongdoings.

Leading a rebellion is punishable by death or life imprisonment. Under South Korean law, prosecutors must ask a judge for one of these charges for the crime of rebellion.

South Korea has not executed anyone since 1997. In 1996, former military dictator Jeong Doo Hwan was sentenced to death for seizing power in a military coup in 1979, but his sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment.

Prosecutors in Yoon’s case say that while no one died in his attempt to impose martial law, Yoon’s intentions were no less brutal. Prosecutors subpoenaed a military commander who testified that Yoon ordered the arrests of lawmakers, and presented as evidence a memo written by a former officer and one of the planners of martial law that suggested “getting rid” of hundreds of people, including journalists, union activists, and lawmakers.

The former president faces other charges, including last month when prosecutors sought a 10-year prison sentence for obstruction of justice and other charges related to his attempt to impose martial law.

Yoonʼs trial for rebellion has been combined with the trials of two other senior officials in his administration, former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun and former Police Chief Cho Ji Ho. A verdict is expected in February.

Martial law in South Korea

On the night of December 3-4, 2024, then-President of South Korea Yoon Seok Yeol declared martial law in the country to “protect the constitutional order” — the first time since the 1980s. The reason was that the opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, rejected the government’s budget proposal and decided to impeach the state auditor and the attorney general. In total, martial law lasted about six hours, but caused an acute internal crisis.

On January 15, 2025, Yoon Seok Yeol was arrested. He is currently in a detention center. He is accused of sedition, abuse of power, and aiding an enemy state.

South Koreaʼs Constitutional Court removed Yoon Seok Yeol from office in a unanimous verdict on April 4.

Former South Korean first lady Kim Geun Hee was arrested on August 13 on charges of involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, election interference, and bribery. She and former President Yoon Seok Yeol became the first former presidential spouses to be detained at the same time.

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