Prosecutors in the Republic of Korea (ROK) will demand either life imprisonment or capital punishment for former President Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday, 13 January 2026, as his historic insurrection trial concludes. Yoon faces charges of orchestrating a failed military intervention in December 2024, when he declared martial law and deployed troops to parliament in an unprecedented bid to extend his authority.
The 2024 crisis, which unfolded amid political tensions over legislative reforms, marked the first time a sitting ROK president attempted to suspend civilian rule. Yoon was detained in January 2025 following the collapse of his administration’s actions, which prosecutors describe as a "blatant overthrow of constitutional order."
Under ROK law, insurrection charges mandate prosecutors to request either of the two severe penalties. The Seoul Central District Court will deliver its verdict in the coming weeks. Defense lawyers made final appeals Tuesday, controversially likening Yoon to persecuted Renaissance scholars Galileo and Bruno, arguing his actions were "misunderstood attempts to stabilize the nation."
If convicted, Yoon would join former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo as the third ROK leader found guilty of insurrection. The trial’s outcome is anticipated to influence ongoing debates about executive power limits and military-civilian relations in East Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
