Independent Counsel Seeks Death Penalty for Former President Yoon Over 2024 Martial Law

Updated 2026-01-13 18:02:29+00:00 (2 articles)

Independent counsel files death‑penalty request on Jan. 13, 2026 Cho Eun‑suk’s team submitted a petition to the Seoul Central District Court asking that former President Yoon Suk Yeol receive the death sentence for rebellion tied to his December 2024 martial‑law decree [1]. The filing characterizes the decree as an anti‑state self‑coup intended to extend Yoon’s rule by dismantling constitutional governance [1]. Prosecutors argue the action endangered national order and constitutes a serious offense against the state [1].

Yoon faces eight criminal trials while detained After being removed from office in April 2025, Yoon has been held in custody and is confronting eight separate prosecutions [1]. The rebellion charge linked to the martial‑law decree is described as the most consequential among the cases [1]. Additional trials address alleged abuses of power and procedural irregularities during his presidency [1].

Rebellion carries death or life, verdict expected February Conviction for rebellion can result in either death or life imprisonment, though judges may commute sentences to as few as ten years [1]. Experts anticipate that, if convicted, Yoon will likely receive a life term rather than execution [1]. South Korea has not carried out an execution since 1997, underscoring the rarity of the death‑penalty request [1].

Widespread fallout includes arrests and new presidential leadership Dozens of senior officials and military commanders associated with Yoon’s administration have been arrested or are under investigation [1]. Yoon’s wife was detained and indicted in August 2025 on bribery and related charges [1]. Following the crisis, Lee Jae Myung won a snap presidential election and appointed independent counsels to continue probing Yoon and his associates [1].

Sources

1.
AP: Independent counsel seeks death penalty for ex-president over martial law rebellion: details the Jan 13, 2026 filing requesting Yoon Suk Yeol’s death sentence, outlines the rebellion charge, describes potential penalties, and notes the political repercussions including arrests and the new administration’s investigative actions .
2026-01-13 18:02:29+00:00

Timeline

Dec 2024 – President Yoon Suk Yeol issues a martial‑law decree, deploying armed troops to Seoul and invoking emergency powers; the move later becomes characterized as an anti‑state self‑coup that sparks South Korea’s deepest political crisis in decades [2].

April 2025 – The National Assembly votes to remove Yoon from office; he is taken into custody and jailed while facing multiple criminal investigations [1].

2025 (post‑April) – Lee Jae Myung wins a snap presidential election and appoints independent counsels to probe Yoon and his associates, laying the groundwork for the high‑profile prosecutions that follow [1].

August 2025 – Yoon’s wife is arrested and indicted on bribery and related charges, expanding the legal fallout from the martial‑law scandal [1].

Dec 26, 2025 – Independent counsel Cho Eun‑suk files a request for a 10‑year prison term against Yoon in the first of seven martial‑law cases, accusing him of obstruction of official duties, abuse of power, falsification of documents and destruction of evidence; the filing notes the Seoul Central District Court could issue a verdict as early as the next month [2].

Dec 26, 2025 – Yoon’s lawyers reply that the 10‑year request is “excessive and politically motivated,” arguing the independent counsel lacks legal grounds and that the punishment is driven by bias [2].

Jan 13, 2026 – Independent counsel submits a separate filing seeking the death penalty for Yoon on rebellion charges tied to the Dec 2024 martial‑law decree, describing the decree as a self‑coup designed to neutralize the constitutional structure of state governance and endanger the nation [1].

Jan 13, 2026 – Yoon defends the decree, stating it is “an attempt to raise public awareness about what he viewed as a danger posed by the liberal opposition,” and insists that the exercised emergency powers cannot be punished as rebellion [1].

Feb 2026 (expected) – The Seoul Central District Court is slated to deliver a verdict on the rebellion charge; experts forecast a life‑sentence rather than death, noting judges can commute to as little as ten years, though South Korea has not carried out an execution since 1997 [1].