Special prosecutors asked a Seoul appellate court to sentence former President Yoon Suk-yeol to death during the resumed trial of his insurrection case.

The request marks a significant escalation in the legal proceedings against the former leader. It signals that the state views the charges of leading an insurrection as a capital offense, potentially overriding the previous judicial outcome.

The appeal trial resumed this week after a one-month hiatus [1]. The delay followed a legal challenge regarding the presiding judge. A recusal request was filed May 14 [1], but the Supreme Court dismissed that request June 12 [1].

The special prosecutor team, led by Cho Eun-seok, said that the original sentence of life imprisonment was too lenient [1]. Prosecutors said the court should impose the death penalty based on the gravity of the crimes [1].

To support the demand for a harsher penalty, the prosecution team introduced additional evidence to the court. This evidence includes the Nosang-won notebook, which the team said justifies the shift from a life sentence to capital punishment [1].

Cho Eun-seok's team said that the court should sentence the defendant to death [1]. The proceedings focus on Yoon's role as the alleged leader of the insurrection, a charge that carries the most severe penalties under South Korean law [1].

“The special prosecutor team asked the court to impose the death penalty.”

The pursuit of the death penalty against a former head of state underscores the severity of the insurrection charges and the political volatility surrounding the case. By introducing new evidence like the Nosang-won notebook, the prosecution is attempting to prove a level of premeditation or leadership that warrants the maximum possible penalty under the law, moving beyond the initial life sentence.