Could Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Face Death Penalty? Shocking Revelations Unfold

Severe Charges Against Yoon Suk Yeol

Seoul: On Tuesday, an independent counsel called for the death penalty for former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, citing rebellion charges linked to his brief declaration of martial law in December 2024.

Yoon, who was ousted from his position in April, is currently facing eight separate trials concerning various criminal allegations tied to his martial law actions and other scandals from his presidency. The rebellion charges are considered the most serious.

According to the Seoul Central District Court, independent counsel Cho Eun-suk's team has requested a death sentence for Yoon.

A verdict from the Seoul court is anticipated in February.

Legal experts suggest that a life sentence is more likely, as South Korea has not carried out any executions since 1997.

During the hearing, Yoon was expected to speak, maintaining that his decree was a necessary yet peaceful effort to alert the public about what he perceived as threats from the liberal opposition Democratic Party, which he accused of obstructing his policies.

He referred to the opposition-led parliament as 'a den of criminals' and 'anti-state forces.'

Yoon's decree, unprecedented in South Korea for over four decades, involved deploying armed troops to surround the assembly and invade election offices in Seoul.

This action evoked painful memories of past military dictatorships in the 1970s and 1980s, when military leaders used martial law to suppress pro-democracy movements.

On the night of the martial law announcement, thousands gathered at the National Assembly to protest and demand Yoon's resignation, leading to enough lawmakers, including members of Yoon's own party, voting against the decree.

Observers labeled Yoon's actions as political suicide, resulting in his impeachment by parliament and a subsequent ruling by the Constitutional Court that removed him from office.

This marked a dramatic fall from grace for Yoon, a former star prosecutor who ascended to the presidency in 2022 after a brief political career.

Lee Jae Myung, the former leader of the Democratic Party who spearheaded Yoon's impeachment, won the presidency in a snap election last June. Upon taking office, Lee appointed three independent counsels to investigate allegations involving Yoon, his wife, and associates.

Speculation had arisen that Yoon declared martial law to shield his wife, Kim Keon Hee, from corruption probes. However, Cho's team concluded after a six-month investigation that Yoon had been plotting for over a year to impose martial law to eliminate political adversaries and consolidate power.

Yoon's decree and the resulting power vacuum led to significant political instability in South Korea, disrupting high-level diplomatic efforts and unsettling financial markets.

His earlier promises to resist impeachment and arrest further deepened the political divide in the nation. In January of the previous year, he became the first sitting president in South Korea to be detained.