Seoul, January 13, 2026 — In a dramatic development in one of South Korea's most significant political trials, special prosecutors on Tuesday requested the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of leading an insurrection related to his short-lived declaration of martial law in December 2024.
The request came during closing arguments at the Seoul Central District Court, where Yoon, 65, stands accused alongside several senior military and police officials of masterminding an unconstitutional bid to impose military rule. Prosecutors described Yoon as the "ringleader of the insurrection," alleging that the martial law decree declared on December 3, 2024 was aimed at undermining the National Assembly, suppressing political opponents labeled as "anti-state forces," and retaining power amid declining popularity and opposition obstruction.
The brief martial law order, which lasted only about six hours, triggered nationwide shock, massive protests, and immediate pushback from lawmakers who defied military blockades to vote unanimously to lift the decree. Prosecutors argued that Yoon and his former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun had planned the move as early as October 2023, including attempts to provoke a military response from North Korea (via covert drone operations) to justify the emergency measure a plan that ultimately failed when Pyongyang did not react.
Yoon has consistently denied the charges, maintaining that the declaration was within his presidential powers as a symbolic warning against opposition interference in governance and aimed at protecting liberal democracy. He has shown no remorse, according to prosecutors, who emphasized the gravity of the constitutional violation and the need for severe punishment to prevent future abuses of power.The insurrection charge carries mandatory penalties of death, life imprisonment, or life without labor under South Korean law, with prosecutors required to seek one of the harsher options.
They also requested life imprisonment for Kim Yong-hyun and lengthy prison terms for other co-defendants, including 30 years for a former intelligence commander.This marks a historic case: if convicted, Yoon would become only the third former South Korean president convicted of insurrection, following military leaders Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo in the 1990s (both initially faced death or life sentences, later commuted).
Notably, South Korea has maintained an unofficial moratorium on executions since 1997, meaning even a death sentence would likely result in life imprisonment in practice.The court is expected to deliver its verdict in February 2026. Yoon, who was impeached by the National Assembly in December 2024 and removed from office by the Constitutional Court in April 2025, has been detained for much of the past year and faces additional trials on related charges including abuse of power and obstruction of justice.
The case continues to polarize South Korean society, with supporters viewing it as political persecution and critics seeing it as essential accountability for an unprecedented assault on democratic institutions.
