(LEAD) Special counsel again seeks death penalty for ex-President Yoon over martial law declaration

SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- A special counsel team on Thursday sought the death p...

Yonhap NewsLee Haye-ah2026-10-29 12:46查看原文 ↗

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during his insurrection trial at the Seoul Central District Court in the capital in this Jan. 13, 2026, file photo provided by the court. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

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SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- A special counsel team on Thursday sought the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk Yeol during his appeal trial on insurrection charges stemming from his failed attempt to impose martial law.

Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team requested the sentence during proceedings at the Seoul High Court, eight months after a lower court sentenced Yoon to life imprisonment for staging a riot through his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during his insurrection trial at the Seoul Central District Court in the capital in this Jan. 13, 2026, file photo provided by the court. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

"There is no reason to hesitate to hand down the death penalty," a member of the team said. "The strongest argument for objection to the death penalty is the possibility of a misjudgment just in case, but in this case, there is no room for that."

Yoon declared martial law with the stated aim of eradicating anti-state forces, though the order was lifted six hours later by a vote by the National Assembly.

During those six hours, troops were deployed to the National Assembly compound, which the lower court ruled in February was an attempt to paralyze parliament and arrest key politicians.

"The commander in chief who had sworn to abide by the Constitution instead sent troops armed with guns pointing at the people," the special counsel team member said.

"This was an unforgivable crime that destroyed the constitutional order and tried to turn back the clock of the Republic of Korea by 40 years."

Yoon, who is charged with being the ringleader of an insurrection, has maintained that his declaration of martial law was meant as a warning to the opposition-controlled parliament amid its successive impeachments of senior government officials and attempts to cut the state budget.

The special counsel team said the lower court's life sentence was too lenient and that the practice of not executing the death penalty should not be a reason to not hand it down.

Amnesty International has categorized South Korea as a death penalty abolitionist in practice, as the punishment has not been carried out since December 1997.

Under criminal law, the only three types of punishment possible for the ringleader of an insurrection are the death penalty, life imprisonment and life imprisonment without labor.

The Seoul High Court plans to hold two additional hearings before setting a sentencing date. Yoon's final statement is scheduled to be delivered next Thursday.

hague@yna.co.kr (END)

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(LEAD) Special counsel again seeks death penalty for ex-President Yoon over martial law declaration

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首尔，10 月 29 日（韩联社）——周四，特别检察官小组在尹锡烈上诉审判中寻求判处其死刑，尹锡烈因其试图实施戒严令失败而被控叛乱罪。

特别检察官赵银淑的团队在首尔高等法院的审理过程中要求判处该刑罚。此前八个月，下级法院判处尹某终身监禁，罪名是他在 2024 年 12 月 3 日宣布戒严令，煽动骚乱。

这张摄于2026年1月13日的照片由法院提供，照片中前总统尹锡烈在首尔中央地方法院就其叛乱罪受审时发表讲话。（照片不得出售）（韩联社）

“没有理由犹豫判处死刑，”一名团队成员说。“反对死刑的最有力论据是存在误判的可能性，但就本案而言，这种可能性根本不存在。”