South Korean prosecutors are pressing for the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk-yeol following his unsuccessful attempt to impose military rule. The team headed by special prosecutor Cho Eun-suk renewed this demand during an appeal hearing in Seoul on Thursday, maintaining that Yoon’s actions endangered the nation’s democratic system.
Legal Proceedings and Arguments
Yoon previously received a life sentence in February after a court convicted him of leading an insurrection. During the original trial in January, prosecutors also requested capital punishment, but the court handed down life imprisonment the following month. At the Thursday session at the Seoul High Court, a prosecutor stated there was no reason to hesitate regarding the death penalty, as reported by South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
Although South Korea maintains capital punishment in its legal system, the country has not executed anyone since 1997. Prosecutors contended that this decades-long moratorium should not stop judges from issuing a death sentence to the former leader. In response, Yoon’s attorneys told reporters on Thursday that his objective was to caution an opposition-dominated parliament against actions they claimed hindered his administration, rather than to set up an authoritarian regime. Yoon similarly denied any intention to establish a long-term dictatorship while speaking at the Seoul High Court on October 27, according to the Hankyoreh newspaper.
Background of the Martial Law Crisis
Yoon instituted martial law on December 3, 2024, sending military troops and police officers to surround the National Assembly building. Parliament members bypassed a security blockade to successfully vote against the decree, compelling the administration to rescind the order roughly six hours after its initial announcement. The lower court determined that Yoon attempted to prevent parliament from operating, arrest political rivals, and maintain prolonged control over the nation.
The political crisis prompted parliament to impeach Yoon in December 2024. Subsequently, South Korea’s Constitutional Court officially removed him from power in April 2025.
The appeals court has scheduled two additional hearings, which will feature Yoon’s final statement on November 5.
