S Korea prosecutors seek death penalty over failed insurrection attempt
BBC • • general
Key Points:
- Prosecutors have requested the death penalty for former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol if found guilty of leading an insurrection through his failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024.
- Yoon is accused of attempting to impose military rule, which lasted only hours but caused significant political turmoil, leading to his impeachment and detention.
- Despite denying the charges and claiming the martial law was symbolic, prosecutors presented evidence including orders to arrest lawmakers and a memo suggesting the "disposing" of hundreds of people.
- South Korea has not executed anyone in nearly 30 years, with the last death sentence given in 1996 but later commuted, highlighting the severity of the current charges against Yoon.
- The trial,
