South Korean Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty for Former President Yoon Suk-yeol in Coup Plot
Yoon Suk-yeol accused of orchestrating a coup, conspiring to impose martial law, and provoking North Korea.
South Korean prosecutors have sought the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who stands accused, among other charges, of organizing a coup.
According to the Yonhap news agency, during the final hearing, the prosecution described the former head of state as the orchestrator of a coup aimed at retaining power by seizing control of the judiciary and legislative branches.
The former president also faces charges of conspiring with the former head of South Korea’s Ministry of Defense and others to impose martial law in December 2024, with the intent of carrying out an unconstitutional coup.
Prosecutors further concluded that, to justify the declaration of martial law, Yoon Suk-yeol dispatched unmanned aerial vehicles and attempted to provoke North Korea into initiating military action.
Beyond Yoon Suk-yeol, 23 other individuals, including former cabinet members, were charged with participating in a long-term scheme to suspend parliament and eliminate political opponents, according to the prosecution.
Seoul had previously expressed satisfaction with U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to approve South Korea’s construction of nuclear submarines. South Korean authorities are thus advancing the nuclear roadmap approved by Yoon Suk-yeol upon his return from Washington in April 2023.
