South Korea Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty for Ex-President Yoon

Prosecutors in South Korea requested the death penalty on Tuesday for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, accusing him of leading an insurrection through his brief declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024, in Seoul. The demand came during the closing hearing of Yoon's trial at the Seoul Central District Court, where special counsel Cho Eunsuk's team argued that the former leader's actions undermined the constitutional order and posed a grave threat to democratic governance.

Yoon, who was impeached by the National Assembly shortly after the declaration and removed from office in April 2025, faces charges of conspiring with senior aides to subvert the Constitution. Prosecutors alleged that he mobilized troops and police to seal off the National Assembly, preventing lawmakers from voting to lift the decree, and ordered the arrest of key figures, including then-Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, and ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon. The martial law lasted only hours before being overturned by legislators, including members of Yoon's own People Power Party, amid widespread protests in Seoul that drew thousands to the streets.