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Yoon Suk-yeol, former President of South Korea. (Photo: Yonhap News) |
[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] The sentencing of former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, charged as the ringleader of the December 3 martial law case, has been postponed to January 13. The main focus remains the Special Prosecutor's proposed sentence. Under South Korean law, the maximum penalties for the crime of leading a rebellion include death, life imprisonment, or life imprisonment with labor.
The upcoming hearing will include the submission of documentary evidence by Yoon's defense team, followed by the special prosecution's final arguments and sentencing recommendation, and concluding with the defense's final statement and Yoon's closing remarks.
On January 8, the special prosecution convened a six-hour meeting with senior officials to discuss the appropriate sentence. Many prosecutors reportedly argued for the death penalty, citing Yoon's alleged attempt to eliminate political opposition through force and his continued denial of responsibility throughout the trial.
However, some officials have suggested life imprisonment instead of death, noting that, unlike the cases of former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and the violent suppression of the May 18 Gwangju uprising, no casualties occurred in this case and the martial law period was brief. Proponents of life imprisonment also highlighted the potential social impact of a death sentence and the fact that South Korea effectively does not carry out executions.
Yoon is accused of conspiring with former Minister Kim and others to declare an unconstitutional martial law without any signs of a national emergency, attempting to disrupt the constitution, and mobilizing the military and police to block the National Assembly. He allegedly sought to obstruct the lifting of martial law and to detain key figures, including then-Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon, and officials from the National Election Commission.
알파경제 Paul Lee 특파원(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
