On Tuesday, a South Korean court deliberated on a case proposing the death penalty for ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol. Prosecutors accused him of instigating a rebellion through his contentious martial law edict issued in December 2024.

During the proceedings at the Seoul Central District Court, independent counsel Cho Eun-suk urged the court to deliver this severe sentence, contending that Yoon’s actions constituted “anti-state activities” and amounted to a “self-coup.”

Yoon, who belongs to the conservative faction and was ousted from his position last spring, is currently detained and faces several criminal charges linked to the martial law incident and other controversies during his tenure. Among these, the rebellion charge is viewed as the most grave, carrying the harshest possible penalty.

In a trial held on May 12, 2025, Yoon, charged with instigating a rebellion through his declaration of martial law on December 3, appeared at the Seoul Central District Court in South Korea. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Cho’s legal team argued that Yoon attempted to extend his rule by subverting South Korea’s constitutional governance framework.

Yoon has rejected the accusations, telling the court that the investigations into his conduct have been “frenzied” and marked by “manipulation” and “distortion.”

He has maintained that the declaration of martial law was intended to alert the public to what he viewed as the growing threat posed by the opposition Democratic Party, which used its legislative majority to block his political agenda. 

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faces eight trials over various criminal charges in connection with his controversial martial law decree and other scandals. (AP)

Yoon argued that the exercise of presidential emergency powers cannot be treated as rebellion under the law.

The court is expected to deliver a verdict next month. Legal experts have said a life sentence is more likely than execution, noting that South Korea has not carried out a death penalty since 1997.

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol criticized investigations on his rebellion charges, saying they have been “frenzied” and that they have involved “manipulation” and “distortion.” (AP)

Yoon is the first South Korean president who has faced a potential death penalty after leaving office since Chun Doo-hwan was sentenced to death in 1996 for various crimes. Chun’s death sentence was later commuted to life in prison, and he was subsequently pardoned and freed.