South Korea seeks loss of life penalty for ex-President Yoon over martial legislation bid

[ad_1] Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea's president, arrives for a listening to on the Constitutional Courtroom of Korea in Seoul, South Korea, on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025.

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South Korea's particular prosecutor has requested the loss of life penalty for former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his brief - lived martial legislation declaration in 2024.

The request got here as Yoon's trial wrapped up late Tuesday. The court docket is predicted to ship its ruling on Feb. 19.

Yoon has been charged with main an riot, a criminal offense that's not shielded by presidential immunity and carries the utmost penalty of loss of life.

If carried out, it could be South Korea's first execution in nearly 30 years.

Amnesty International has categorized the nation as "abolitionist in follow," noting that whereas South Korea nonetheless retains the loss of life penalty, it has not executed anybody since 1997.

Throughout the ultimate listening to, particular counsel Cho Eun-suk's crew mentioned that Yoon declared martial legislation "with the aim of remaining in energy for a very long time by seizing the judiciary and legislature," in response to South Korean media reports.

Yoon reportedly maintained his innocence, saying the declaration was inside his constitutional authority and was supposed to "safeguard freedom and sovereignty."

On the time, Yoon accused the then - opposition Democratic Get together of Korea of partaking in "anti-state actions" and colluding with "North Korean communists."

On Dec 3, 2024, Yoon ordered troops to the nation's Nationwide Meeting after declaring martial legislation in a late-night tackle. Troopers blocked entry and clashed with protesters and lawmakers as particular forces tried to enter the chamber.

However inside three hours, the martial legislation order was overturned after 190 of the 300 Nationwide Meeting lawmakers managed to assemble within the chamber and unanimously voted to overturn the decree . Yoon ultimately lifted martial legislation about six hours after asserting it.

The final navy coup in South Korea occurred in 1979, when the then-army basic Chun Doo-hwan seized management following the assassination of President Park Chung-hee.

Chun later expanded martial legislation nationwide in 1980, a transfer that led to the 1980 Gwangju rebellion, throughout which troops violently suppressed protests within the southwestern metropolis of Gwangju that left anywhere between 200 and 2,000 civilians killed .

At the time , Chun's authorities accused the rebellion of being instigated by "North Korean communists and gangsters."

In 1996, Chun was handed the loss of life penalty for his function within the 1979 coup, although his sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment.