On Tuesday, a court in South Korea deliberated over requests to sentence former President Yoon Suk Yeol to death, following accusations by prosecutors that he instigated a rebellion through a contentious martial law declaration in December 2024.

Independent prosecutor Cho Eun-suk advocated for the death penalty at the Seoul Central District Court, labeling Yoon’s declaration as a “self-coup” and contending that his actions constituted “anti-state activities.”

After being ousted last spring, Yoon, a conservative figure, remains detained while facing several criminal charges related to the martial law incident and other disputes from his presidency. Prosecutors assert that the rebellion charge is the most significant, warranting the harshest penalty.

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, charged with rebellion for his martial law declaration on December 3, was seen arriving at the Seoul Central District Court for his trial on Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Cho and his team argued in court that Yoon attempted to extend his tenure by disrupting the nation’s constitutional governance framework.

Yoon has denied these allegations, claiming in court that the investigations into his actions have been “frenzied” and plagued 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.