South Korean Prosecutors Renew Death Penalty Request for Former President Yoon
(MENAFN) A special counsel team in South Korea renewed its request for the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday, as he appeals his life sentence for insurrection linked to his failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024.
The team, led by Special Counsel Cho Eun-suk, sought the sentence during proceedings at the Seoul High Court, where Yoon is challenging the life imprisonment term imposed against him, according to reports.
Yoon was sentenced to life in prison in February after being convicted of leading an insurrection through his attempt to impose martial law. The declaration remained in effect for only a few hours before the National Assembly intervened and overturned it.
Prosecutors had initially called for the death penalty in January, and the latest request renews their push for the maximum sentence as the appeal proceedings continue.
Beyond the insurrection case, Yoon is facing a total of eight trials involving his martial law declaration, corruption allegations concerning his wife and the 2023 death of a marine officer.
Yoon was formally removed from office in April 2025 after the Constitutional Court unanimously upheld his impeachment over the Dec. 3, 2024, martial law declaration. The ruling led to a snap presidential election to choose his successor.
The appeal proceedings will determine whether the life sentence imposed on Yoon remains in place or is changed by the court. The special counsel’s renewed demand for capital punishment marks another significant stage in the legal cases stemming from his brief attempt to impose martial law.
The team, led by Special Counsel Cho Eun-suk, sought the sentence during proceedings at the Seoul High Court, where Yoon is challenging the life imprisonment term imposed against him, according to reports.
Yoon was sentenced to life in prison in February after being convicted of leading an insurrection through his attempt to impose martial law. The declaration remained in effect for only a few hours before the National Assembly intervened and overturned it.
Prosecutors had initially called for the death penalty in January, and the latest request renews their push for the maximum sentence as the appeal proceedings continue.
Beyond the insurrection case, Yoon is facing a total of eight trials involving his martial law declaration, corruption allegations concerning his wife and the 2023 death of a marine officer.
Yoon was formally removed from office in April 2025 after the Constitutional Court unanimously upheld his impeachment over the Dec. 3, 2024, martial law declaration. The ruling led to a snap presidential election to choose his successor.
The appeal proceedings will determine whether the life sentence imposed on Yoon remains in place or is changed by the court. The special counsel’s renewed demand for capital punishment marks another significant stage in the legal cases stemming from his brief attempt to impose martial law.
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