South Korean prosecutors demand death penalty for former president Yoon Suk Yeol

"Prosecutors characterised the case as the serious destruction of constitutional order by anti-state forces, telling Seoul central district court that Yoon had directly and fundamentally infringed upon the safety of the state and the survival and freedom of the people. Under South Korea's criminal code, insurrection ringleader charges carry just three possible sentences: the death penalty, life imprisonment with labour, or life imprisonment without labour."

"Prosecutors demanded life imprisonment with labour for former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun, describing him as having moved as one body with Yoon throughout the conspiracy. Yoon deployed troops to the national assembly on the night of 3 December 2024, allegedly ordering them to prevent lawmakers from voting to lift his martial law declaration. The six-hour crisis ended when 190 MPs broke through military cordons to pass an emergency resolution, forcing Yoon to back down."

"Prosecutors told the court Yoon began planning the operation before October 2023 to monopolise power through long-term rule, strategically placing military personnel in key positions before the declaration. According to their closing arguments the plans, documented in notebooks and mobile phone memos, included preparing to torture election officials into confessing to fabricated election fraud, and cutting power and water to critical media outlets."

Prosecutors demanded the death penalty for former president Yoon Suk Yeol over a failed December 2024 martial law declaration, calling it a serious destruction of constitutional order by anti-state forces. They argued Yoon infringed state safety and citizens' survival and freedom. Insurrection ringleader charges carry three possible sentences: death, life with labour, or life without labour, with a verdict expected mid-February. Yoon was removed from office in April 2025 after impeachment and constitutional court removal; a snap election brought Lee Jae Myung to power. Prosecutors sought life imprisonment with labour for former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun and alleged planning since before October 2023, including torture plans and cutting utilities to media outlets.

Read at www.theguardian.com