Court to hear sentence for ousted S. Korean leader

A South Korean court is holding the final hearing in the insurrection trial of ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday, with public attention focused on the potential punishment for his brief imposition of martial law, including the possibility of the death penalty, according to Yonhap News.

The Seoul Central District Court resumed the hearing after last Friday's hearing was suspended when lawyers for former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun delayed proceedings by spending eight hours examining paper evidence.

During Tuesday's hearing, Yoon's legal team is expected to review paper evidence and present closing arguments, followed by special counsel Cho Eun-suk's final opinion and expected sentencing recommendations for all eight defendants, including Yoon.

The court will conclude the trial by hearing final statements from the defendants.

On Monday, a Seoul court also held the first hearing of Yoon's trial on charges of benefiting the enemy over allegations of dispatching military drones to North Korea in 2024.

Yoon was arrested and indicted in January last year on charges of leading an insurrection, becoming the first sitting president in South Korea to be taken into custody. He was released in March, rearrested in July, and has remained detained since then.

The former president was formally removed from office by the Constitutional Court in April last year.

Yoon is also facing multiple other trials linked to the failed martial law bid, including separate insurrection-related cases.

Last month, prosecutors sought a 10-year prison sentence for Yoon on obstruction of justice and other charges stemming from his 2024 attempt to impose martial law.