On the 13th, after former President Yoon Suk-yeol was sought the maximum sentence allowed by law, the death penalty, on insurrection charges, major foreign media outlets carried the news as breaking alerts and focused on the implications for Korean politics and the judicial system.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the former president became subject to a request for the death penalty or life imprisonment on charges of being the ringleader of an insurrection, analyzing that a key issue at trial will be whether the troops mobilized during the declaration of martial law exceeded the scope of lawful emergency measures. It added that while the former president argues he declared martial law due to the North Korean threat, prosecutors view it as an attempt to seize power. It also presented the view that the very act of seeking the death penalty could further deepen political divisions in Korean society.
The Associated Press also reported the request for the death penalty for the former president, noting that the deployment of troops around the National Assembly and government complexes at the time of the martial law declaration is cited as a core allegation. AP also highlighted views that the case is assessed as a serious challenge to Korean democracy.
Reuters reported that "the special counsel investigating the insurrection case sought the death penalty for the former president." Reuters said the former president was indicted on charges of attempting to neutralize the National Assembly by declaring a state of emergency martial law in Dec. 2024, and that the special counsel presented indications the plan had been prepared since Oct. 2023. It also noted that although Korea has not carried out an execution for decades, insurrection remains a serious crime for which the death penalty is still possible.