
The Seoul High Court has scheduled the sentencing hearing for former President Yoon Suk Yeol for January 26, following his conviction for insurrection related to a failed martial law declaration in December 2024.
AI-generated summary
Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life in prison in February 2025 for his role in the December 3, 2024, martial law declaration.
SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- An appeals court said Thursday it will deliver its verdict in January next year on former President Yoon Suk Yeol's insurrection charges stemming from his failed attempt to impose martial law.
The sentencing hearing will be held Jan. 26, the bench overseeing his appeal at the Seoul High Court said.
A district court sentenced Yoon to life in prison in February, after finding him guilty of leading an insurrection through the martial law bid on Dec. 3, 2024, with the stated aim of eradicating anti-state forces.
Earlier, special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team again sought the death penalty for Yoon.
The team also sought life imprisonment for former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and a 30-year prison term for former Defense Intelligence Commander Noh Sang-won for their roles in the martial law bid.
In his final statement Thursday, Yoon reiterated that his declaration of martial law itself does not constitute an insurrection, arguing that it was intended to warn the opposition party against what he described as its abuse of legislative power.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Seoul High Court to deliver verdict on January 26.
Very likely · Within months

The Seoul High Court scheduled the final ruling for former President Yoon Suk Yeol's insurrection trial for Jan. 26. Prosecutors requested the death penalty for Yoon, citing his role in the illegal 2024 martial law declaration.

A South Korean special counsel team has requested a one-year prison sentence for Oh Dong-woon, chief prosecutor of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, accusing him of dereliction of duty for failing to transfer a criminal complaint against a subordinate to the Supreme Prosecutors Office for 11 months.

The sentencing of the appeal trial for the revocation of a personnel order filed by Prosecutor Jeong Yu-mi of the Daejeon Metropolitan Public Prosecution Office, who was effectively demoted from the Supreme Prosecutor's Office to a high prosecutor-level position, is scheduled for the 3rd of next month. The first trial ruled in favor of the plaintiff, acknowledging the Ministry of Justice's abuse of personnel discretion, and the Ministry of Justice appealed and the dispute continues.

The Special Prosecution Act, which investigates allegations of fabricated indictments by prosecutors under the Yoon Seok-yeol government, is about to be submitted to the plenary session. Cases involving President Lee Jae-myung are the subject of investigation, but criticism has been raised in the legal community that there may be a conflict of interest as the president has the final authority to appoint a special prosecutor.

Former Presidential Security Service Director Park Jong-joon, who was indicted on charges of obstructing the execution of an arrest warrant for former President Yoon Seok-yeol, was sentenced to three years in prison. Because the special prosecutor and the defendant did not appeal, the second trial sentence was confirmed, and former head of the National Security Headquarters Lee Gwang-woo and former head of the Family Security Headquarters Kim Shin, who were also indicted, were sentenced to two years in prison and one year in prison, respectively, with two years of probation. However, former Deputy Director of the Ministry of National Security Kim Seong-hoon submitted an appeal and received the Supreme Court's decision.

Cho Eun-seok's team of civil war special prosecutors appealed against the first trial acquittal of eight former soldiers, including former Army 2nd Armored Brigade commander Koo Sam-hoe. The special prosecutor's team predicted that the appellate court would maintain the indictment, saying that the defendants were key commanders who participated in the plot before declaring martial law and dispatched troops to the National Assembly and the National Election Commission.