Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty for Former South Korea President
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- A special counsel has requested the death penalty for South Korea’s impeached former president Yoon Suk Yeol, accusing him of leading an insurrection by imposing martial law in late 2024.
- The court is expected to deliver its verdict and sentence in the coming weeks, with the only possible punishments being death or life imprisonment under South Korean law.
- Despite the death penalty request, execution is unlikely as South Korea has not carried out executions since 1997, and previous capital sentences for former presidents have been commuted to life imprisonment.
- Yoon, aged 65, has been on trial since his arrest in January 2025 for multiple criminal charges, with the final hearing on the insurrection charge held recently.
