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3h ago

Prosecutors Deliver Sentencing Request at Yoon’s Final Insurrection Hearing

Legal sources indicate a likely push for life imprisonment, with the court’s decision expected in early February.

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A group of far right wing protesters greets a bus carrying former President Yoon Suk Yeol as he arrives for the final arguments in his insurrection trial, at a court in Seoul, South Korea, January 9, 2026. The sign reads "Cheer up Yoon Suk Yeol." REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
A woman holds up a banner as she waits for former President Yoon Suk Yeol's arrival for the final arguments in his insurrection trial, at a court in Seoul, South Korea, January 9, 2026. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol arrives at a court to attend a hearing to review his arrest warrant requested by special prosecutors in Seoul, South Korea, July 9, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/Pool/File Photo

Overview

  • The final session convened at the Seoul Central District Court with all eight defendants, including the jailed former president, present.
  • Special counsel Cho Eun-suk’s team is set to seek a penalty permitted for insurrection ringleaders, ranging from the death penalty to life imprisonment.
  • Legal sources report most prosecutors favor recommending life imprisonment rather than capital punishment.
  • Prosecutors argue Yoon’s Dec. 3, 2024 martial law plan involved mobilizing troops, sealing the National Assembly, and ordering arrests of political leaders.
  • Investigators have weighed Yoon’s refusal to cooperate during the probe as an aggravating factor, and rulings for him and seven co-defendants are expected in early February.