Politics South Korea's ex-president Yoon faces death penalty
In South Korea's most important criminal trial in recent years, former President Yoon Suk Yeol awaits his verdict in a few hours. After the 65-year-old unexpectedly declared martial law in December 2024, he now has to answer for insurrection in Seoul Central District Court. The judges only have three options if he is found guilty: life imprisonment, life imprisonment with hard labor or the death penalty. The public prosecutor's office demanded the latter in mid-January.
19.02.2026, 03:09
SDA
When Yoon declared martial law in the evening hours of December 3, 2024, he plunged South Korea into a months-long national crisis. In a televised speech, the conservative politician and former prosecutor spoke of wanting to protect the country's liberal order from an opposition infiltrated by communists and North Korea sympathizers. However, he did not provide any evidence for his claim.
In the evening hours, Yoon ordered special military units to seal off the National Assembly in Seoul. However, his plan did not work: After a few hours, the members of parliament were able to repeal the martial law decree in a hastily called vote. The president was removed from office and charged.
The special prosecution team led by Cho Eun Seok had demanded the death penalty for Yoon in their closing statement in mid-January. In its statement, it said that the defendant had planned the imposition of martial law for a long time in order to destroy the country's constitutional order. His actions had caused "enormous damage and great suffering to the state and society". The special public prosecutor's office also accused Yoon of having "not once sincerely apologized to the public" and not having shown any remorse.
The ex-president is also accused of accepting a conflict with North Korea. In autumn 2024, he is said to have ordered a secret drone operation on North Korean territory in order to provoke a military response from Pyongyang - and thus create a pretext to legitimize his plans for martial law. North Korea did not respond to the provocation with military countermeasures.
Yoon's lawyers, however, have always denied the accusations. According to them, the martial law decree was a symbolic wake-up call to warn of a political crisis triggered by the opposition. In the months before martial law was imposed, the dispute between the government and opposition over a budget law had escalated - there was a political stalemate.
Yoon had repeatedly described the criminal proceedings against him as illegitimate. According to media reports, he did not appear in person at 16 court hearings.
According to observers, a guilty verdict is likely. In recent weeks, a number of high-ranking politicians from Yoon's former cabinet have already been sentenced in connection with the state crisis at the time - for example, former Prime Minister Han Duck Soo received a 23-year prison sentence for his complicity in connection with the martial law decree.
South Korea's conservative camp has lost much of its popularity
However, even if Yoon Suk Yeol is actually sentenced to death, it is unlikely to be carried out. De facto, South Korea has an unofficial moratorium on the death penalty. It has therefore been temporarily suspended and has not been carried out since the end of the 1990s. Yoon Suk Yeol can also appeal against the sentence.
In a separate trial, Yoon has already been sentenced to five years in prison for obstruction of justice. Among other things, the court considered it proven that he destroyed evidence against him and abused the presidential security service to resist his arrest.
Since last summer, South Korea has been governed by the left-of-center Lee Jae Myung, the opposition leader at the time. His Democratic Party is comparatively popular among the population. According to a recent survey by the Gallup polling institute, the ruling Democratic Party currently has an approval rating of 44%.
The conservative camp, on the other hand, has lost significant support since the national crisis triggered by Yoon Suk Yeol. Support for the People Power Party, to which Yoon belonged until his resignation in May, now stands at just 22%.
