Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea's president, arrives for a proceeding astatine the Constitutional Court of Korea successful Seoul, South Korea, connected Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025.
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South Korea's peculiar authoritative has requested the decease punishment for erstwhile president Yoon Suk Yeol implicit his short-lived martial instrumentality declaration successful 2024.
The petition came arsenic Yoon's proceedings wrapped up precocious Tuesday. The tribunal is expected to present its ruling connected Feb. 19.
Yoon has been charged with starring an insurrection, a transgression that is not shielded by statesmanlike immunity and carries the maximum punishment of death.
If carried out, it would beryllium South Korea's archetypal execution successful astir 30 years.
Amnesty International has classified the state arsenic "abolitionist successful practice," noting that portion South Korea inactive retains the decease penalty, it has not executed anyone since 1997.
During the last hearing, peculiar counsel Cho Eun-suk's squad said that Yoon declared martial instrumentality "with the intent of remaining successful powerfulness for a agelong clip by seizing the judiciary and legislature," according to South Korean media reports.
Yoon reportedly maintained his innocence, saying the declaration was wrong his law authorization and was intended to "safeguard state and sovereignty."
At the time, Yoon accused the then-opposition Democratic Party of Korea of engaging successful "anti-state activities" and colluding with "North Korean communists."
On Dec 3, 2024, Yoon ordered troops to the country's National Assembly aft declaring martial instrumentality successful a late-night address. Soldiers blocked entree and clashed with protesters and lawmakers arsenic peculiar forces attempted to participate the chamber.
But wrong 3 hours, the martial instrumentality bid was overturned aft 190 of the 300 National Assembly lawmakers managed to stitchery successful the enclosure and unanimously voted to overturn the decree. Yoon yet lifted martial instrumentality astir six hours aft announcing it.
The past subject coup successful South Korea occurred successful 1979, erstwhile the then-army wide Chun Doo-hwan seized power pursuing the assassination of President Park Chung-hee.
Chun aboriginal expanded martial instrumentality nationwide successful 1980, a determination that led to the 1980 Gwangju uprising, during which troops violently suppressed protests successful the southwestern metropolis of Gwangju that near anywhere betwixt 200 and 2,000 civilians killed.
At the time, Chun's authorities accused the uprising of being instigated by "North Korean communists and gangsters."
In 1996, Chun was handed the decease punishment for his relation successful the 1979 coup, though his condemnation was aboriginal commuted to beingness imprisonment.
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