South Korea Seeks Death Penalty For Ex-President Yoon’s Botched Martial Law Attempt

South Korea’s special prosecutor has called for the death sentence for former President Yoon Suk-yeol in his rebellion trial, according to Yonhap. Closing arguments have been made in his trial in a Seoul court as he stands accused of being the “ringleader of an insurrection”.

Yoon’s botched attempt in December 2024 to impose martial law in South Korea lasted a mere hours but plunged the country into political turmoil and chaos. He was soon after impeached from office by parliament and was arrested pending trial.

Seeking the death penalty seems ultra-harsh, but it’s actually in keeping with South Korean criminal code, under which leading a rebellion carries three possible penalties: capital punishment, life imprisonment with hard labor, or life imprisonment without compulsory labor.

Prosecutors allege that he ordered military and police forces to seal off the National Assembly in an effort to prevent lawmakers from entering the building where they would overturn the martial law decree.

Importantly, South Korea has not carried out an execution since 1997 – so if Yoon is eventually executed (though would likely be some kind of drawn out appeals process), it would send a chilling and strong message to current and future leaders.

In 1996, ex-President Chun Doo-hwan, who ruled from 1980 to 1988, was sentenced to death for rebellion, high treason, and corruption stemming from his role in the 1979 military coup and the violent suppression of the Gwangju uprising in 1980.

His sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment by appellate courts, including the Supreme Court. He was ultimately pardoned in 1997 by then-President Kim Young-sam as part of a ‘national reconciliation’ initiative.

And in the years running into the 2010s there was this litany:

Chun’s successor, Roh Tae-woo, was also tried in 1996 on charges of rebellion and corruption. He initially received a 22-year prison sentence, which was later reduced to 17 and a half years. Like Chun, Roh was pardoned in 1997.

Former President Lee Myung-bak, who served from 2008 to 2013, was convicted of corruption and abuse of power and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was later pardoned in 2022 by President Yoon Suk-yeol.

President Park Geun-hye, who held office from 2013 to 2017, was impeached, as was Yoon Suk-yeol. In 2018, she received a 24-year prison sentence on corruption charges, before being pardoned in 2021 by President Moon Jae-in.

This is why, after the South Korean political system had somewhat stabilized in the last several years compared to over two decades ago, Yoon’s declaration of martial law was such a shock to Koreans, and to the West.

Amnesty International condemns it…

No one is above the law, but seeking the death penalty for former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is a step backward.https://t.co/x9flcVi10x

— Amnesty International USA (@amnestyusa) January 13, 2026

Prosecutors in their arguments have alleged the former president had been motivated by a “lust for power aimed at dictatorship and long-term rule”. They told the court: “The greatest victims of the insurrection in this case are the people of this country,” they told the court.

“There are no mitigating circumstances to be considered in sentencing, and instead a severe punishment must be imposed,” the prosecutors said.