Special counsel again seeks death penalty for ex-President Yoon over martial law declaration

A special counsel team on Thursday sought the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk Yeol during his appeal trial on insurrection charges stemming from his failed attempt to impose martial law. Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team requested the sentence during proceedings at the Seoul High Court, eight months after a lower court sentenced Yoon to life imprisonment for staging a riot through his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024. The team had recommended capital punishment during the first-instance trial as well. "There is no reason to hesitate to hand down the death penalty," a member of the team said. "The strongest argument for objection to the death penalty is the possibility of a misjudgment just in case, but in this case, there is no room for that." Yoon declared martial law with the stated aim of eradicating anti-state forces, though the order was lifted six hours later by a vote by the National Assembly. During those six hours, troops were deployed to the National Assembly compound, which the lower court ruled in February was an attempt to paralyze parliament and arrest