Special prosecutors told the Seoul High Court that a life sentence is too lenient for the former South Korean president’s failed martial law attempt of December 2024.
Tamrah News Desk | October 29, 2026
Prosecutors in Seoul pressed for a Yoon Suk Yeol death penalty on Thursday, asking the Seoul High Court to replace a life sentence with capital punishment for the former president’s failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024. According to The Associated Press, the team led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eun Suk argued that only the death penalty could fully hold Yoon accountable for orchestrating a rebellion. The AP said the court has not yet set a date for its verdict.
Prosecutors Say a Life Sentence Is Too Lenient
The Korea Herald reported that the special counsel team saw
“no reason to hesitate to impose the death penalty”
over the declaration of Dec. 3, 2024. Prosecutors challenged the lower court’s findings that the operation was not carefully planned, that martial law ended quickly and that force was limited. The Korea Herald said they blamed the failure on public resistance and the reluctance of soldiers and police to follow orders, not on any restraint by Yoon. They also rejected his career in public service as a reason for leniency, arguing he used knowledge gained as a prosecutor to commit the crime.
The AP reported that the team added that South Korea’s long pause on executions should not stop courts from handing down death sentences. Seoul Economic Daily reported that the special counsel described Yoon as a traitor who sought to overthrow the constitutional order.
Yoon’s Lawyers Reject the Insurrection Charge
Yoon’s legal team told reporters that prosecutors were repeating an argument
“devoid of evidence and legal logic”
according to the AP. The lawyers said Yoon imposed martial law to raise public awareness of what he called attempts by the opposition to paralyze state affairs through the legislature. They said he never meant to cause harm or build authoritarian rule. Reuters reported in January that Yoon, 65, has denied the charges.
What Happened During the South Korea Martial Law Attempt
The AP reported that the decree announced late on Dec. 3, 2024 lasted only hours. A quorum of lawmakers broke through a blockade of heavily armed soldiers and police at the National Assembly and voted to overturn it, forcing the cabinet to lift the measure. The February ruling found that Yoon illegally mobilized troops and police to seize the legislature, arrest political opponents and establish unchecked rule for a considerable time.
How the Yoon Suk Yeol Life Sentence Came About
The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Yoon to life in prison on Feb. 19 after finding him guilty of masterminding an insurrection, according to Reuters. Prosecutors had sought death in closing arguments on Jan. 13. Reuters noted that the crime carries either the death penalty or life imprisonment under South Korean law. ABC News reported that the judges cited a lack of remorse. The AP described Yoon as the first former South Korean president to receive a life sentence since the military ruler Chun Doo Hwan.
The South China Morning Post reported that former defence minister Kim Yong Hyun received a sentence of 30 years for playing a key role. The AP said former Prime Minister Han Duck Soo was given 23 years and has appealed.
Could the Yoon Suk Yeol Death Penalty Ever Be Carried Out?
South Korea has not executed anyone since 1997 and last handed down a death sentence in 2016, Reuters reported. The AP said an execution would be unlikely. Reuters also recalled that prosecutors sought death for former President Chun Doo Hwan in the 1990s, a lower court imposed it, and an appeals court later reduced it to life in prison. Reuters said the sentence prosecutors request is not always upheld.
Other Cases Tied to the Martial Law Attempt
Yoon was suspended from office on Dec. 14, 2024, removed by the Constitutional Court in April 2025 and arrested again in July 2025, the AP reported. He has also appealed a prison term of 30 years in a case accusing him of ordering drone flights to raise tensions with North Korea. The AP reported that the Seoul High Court raised his sentence for resisting arrest to seven years in April. Reuters reported on Sept. 22, citing Yonhap News Agency, that an appeals court cut former first lady Kim Keon Hee’s sentence to five years from seven in a bribery case.
What Happens Next in the Yoon Suk Yeol Appeal
According to the Korea Herald, closing proceedings are continuing. The court plans to announce a sentencing date after Yoon’s lawyers present closing arguments and Yoon gives a final statement on Nov. 5.
Conclusion
The renewed Yoon Suk Yeol death penalty request puts the severity of the sentence at the center of the martial law appeal. Readers following the Yoon Suk Yeol appeal, the Seoul High Court verdict, the South Korea martial law case, the Yoon Suk Yeol life sentence and special prosecutor Cho Eun Suk’s team can return for updates as the trial moves toward a ruling.
