South Korea Ex-President: Death Penalty Demand

Prosecutors accused Jun of organizing a rebellion, Yonhap reports.

According to media information, the verdict is expected in late January or early February.

Although South Korea still has the death penalty, there has been an unofficial moratorium on executions since 1997.

Since the middle of last year, the country has been led by President Li Zemin, a center-left politician and Yun’s longtime political rival.

Yun explained in December that the decision to declare martial law was based on the fight against “pro-China, pro-North Korea and treasonous activities”.

On the evening of December 3, 2024, Yun surprised the country and the international community by declaring martial law for the first time since the 1980s and sending soldiers and helicopters to the parliament.

The President lifted martial law on the morning of December 4 after all members of the National Assembly present called on the President to lift it. The decision also sparked widespread protests.

On December 14, 2024, the parliament removed Jun from the post of president through impeachment, but last April he was officially removed from office by the Constitutional Court.

Jun was arrested on January 19 last year for temporarily declaring martial law, but was released from pre-trial detention on March 8. He was arrested again in July.