South Korea court hears final arguments in martial law insurrection case
January 9, 2026: South Korea’s special prosecutor is expected to seek a sentence for former president Yoon Suk Yeol as his insurrection trial entered its final phase on Friday. Yoon faces charges over his brief but controversial imposition of martial law in December 2024, an act that prosecutors say amounted to an attempted insurrection. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment or even the death penalty under South Korean law, although the country has observed an unofficial moratorium on executions for nearly three decades.
During hearings at the Seoul Central District Court, prosecutors alleged that Yoon and then defence minister Kim Yong-hyun had planned the move months in advance, aiming to suspend parliament and seize legislative powers. They claimed Yoon sought to label political opponents, including then opposition leader Lee Jae Myung, as “anti-state forces” and detain them, while also attempting to fabricate a justification for martial law by escalating tensions with North Korea through covert actions.
Yoon, 65, has denied all charges, arguing that declaring martial law fell within presidential authority and was meant to counter political obstruction. The six-hour episode nonetheless sent shockwaves through Asia’s fourth-largest economy and a key US ally. The court is expected to deliver its verdict in February, closing a turbulent chapter that led to Yoon’s impeachment, removal from office and the election of Lee Jae Myung as president in June last year.