Overview
- Independent counsel Cho Eun-suk’s team asked the court to sentence Yoon Suk Yeol to death, calling him the ringleader of an insurrection to retain power by seizing the judiciary and legislature.
- The request was made at the final hearing in Seoul, where prosecutors argued Yoon’s 2024 emergency decree unlawfully undermined the National Assembly and the Election Commission.
- Yoon denied wrongdoing in a 90-minute statement, insisting his actions were a constitutional effort to safeguard freedom and restore order.
- Removed from office last April, Yoon remains jailed and faces eight separate trials that include allegations tied to the martial law episode and other scandals such as provocative drone operations over North Korea.
- South Korea has carried out no executions since 1997, and prosecutors also sought severe sentences for co-defendants, including life for former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun and lengthy terms for senior police and military officials.