SEOUL: South Korean prosecutors called on Tuesday for the death penalty to be handed down to former president Yoon Suk Yeol for his December 2024 declaration of martial law, which plunged the country into chaos.

Yoon triggered a political crisis when he announced an end to civilian rule in December 2024 and sent troops to parliament to enforce it. But his attempt failed and he became the country’s first sitting president to be taken into custody when he was detained last January.

Yoon’s criminal trial for insurrection, abuse of power and other offences linked to the declaration drew to a close on Tuesday after 11 hours of proceedings. In closing remarks, prosecutors accused him of being the ringleader of an “insurrection” motivated by a “lust for power aimed at dictatorship and long-term rule”.

They accused Yoon of showing “no remorse” for actions which threatened “constitutional order and democracy”. “The greatest victims of the insurrection in this case are the people of this country,” they said.

“There are no mitigating circumstances to be considered in sentencing, and instead a severe punishment must be imposed.” Yoon’s defence team, meanwhile, have made theatrical arguments in a bid to help him and his alleged accomplices.

On Tuesday they compared the disgraced former leader to great historical figures like Italian scholars Galileo Galilei and Giordano Bruno, who were wrongfully condemned. “The majority does not always reveal the truth,” they said.

Prosecutors also asked that former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun be sentenced to life imprisonment.

Proceedings were expected to wrap up last Friday, but were postponed after 15 hours of deliberation — it took eight hours to examine evidence alone for Kim. Kim’s lawyer insisted “a short tongue” was preventing him from reading more quickly.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2026