SEOUL, Jan 13 (Reuters): South Korea's special prosecutor has requested the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of masterminding an insurrection over his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024.

South Korea has not carried out a death sentence in nearly three decades.

In closing arguments at the Seoul Central District Court late on Tuesday, a prosecutor said investigators confirmed the existence of a scheme allegedly directed by Yoon and his former defence minister, Kim Yong-hyun, dating back to October 2023 designed to keep Yoon in power.

"Yoon...claims to have committed emergency martial law to protect liberal democracy, but his unconstitutional and illegal emergency martial law undermined the function of the National Assembly and the Election Commission... actually destroying the liberal democratic constitutional order," the prosecutor said in final arguments.

"The defendant has not sincerely regretted the crime... or apologised properly to the people."

Yoon shook his head and appeared to chuckle when he heard the sentencing request, while some of his supporters in court also laughed or even muttered expletives, prompting the judge to call for order.

Photo from Reuters