Wednesday, January 14, 2026- South Korean prosecutors have taken an extraordinary step by asking a court to impose the death penalty on former President Yoon Suk Yeol, accusing him of leading an insurrection through a failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024.
Prosecutors argue that Yoon’s emergency decree, which involved deploying troops around the National Assembly and attempting to restrict legislative and media activity, constituted a direct attack on South Korea’s democratic constitutional order. They described the move as a self-coup and told the court there were no mitigating factors that would justify leniency.
During closing arguments at the Seoul Central District Court, prosecutors portrayed Yoon as the central figure in a deliberate effort to concentrate power and dismantle institutional checks through unconstitutional means.
Although the martial law declaration was short-lived and quickly overturned by lawmakers and the courts, prosecutors emphasized that the scale of the threat justified the harshest punishment available under the law. Yoon has denied any criminal intent, insisting his actions were a response to political deadlock, and has shown no remorse as the case approaches a verdict.
While the request for capital punishment marks a dramatic moment in South Korea’s legal and political history, its practical impact remains uncertain. The country has not carried out an execution since 1997, and many legal experts expect that a conviction would more likely result in life imprisonment.
Even so, the case is already reshaping the national conversation about constitutional limits, presidential power, and accountability at the highest levels of government, with a verdict expected in the coming weeks.
0 Comments