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South Korean prosecutors have asked a court to sentence six former military commanders to prison terms ranging from 18 to 30 years for their alleged roles in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's 2024 martial law declaration. The requests, made by a special counsel team, cover commanders accused of deploying troops to the National Assembly and the National Election Commission, as well as organizing arrest teams for politicians.

Coverage Comparison

The demands were reported by Yonhap News Agency in two separate dispatches. In one, the special counsel team sought an 18-year prison term for Kim Hyun-tae, former commander of the 707th Special Missions Group. In the other, the team requested terms of 20 to 30 years for five other commanders.

The two reports together cover six defendants. The first report, dated July 28, focuses on Kim Hyun-tae, who is accused of leading troops to secure the National Assembly after Yoon's martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024. The second report, dated July 24, details the sentencing demands for the other five commanders, including 30-year terms for two of them.

Key Claims

  • A special counsel team sought an 18-year prison term for Kim Hyun-tae, former commander of the 707th Special Missions Group, over his alleged role in Yoon's martial law bid, as reported by Yonhap.
  • The same special counsel team, in a separate case, sought prison terms of 20 to 30 years for five other former military commanders indicted over their roles in the martial law bid, according to Yonhap.
  • The defendants are accused of deploying troops to the National Assembly and the National Election Commission, and of organizing and operating arrest teams for politicians after martial law was declared, Yonhap reported.
  • Yoon's martial law bid failed after the National Assembly voted to reject his decree hours after its declaration, and martial law troops withdrew, Yonhap reported.
  • Yoon was sentenced to life imprisonment for leading an insurrection through the failed bid in February, and has appealed the ruling, Yonhap reported.
The special counsel team, led by Cho Eun-suk, demanded 30-year prison terms for Yeo In-hyeong, former commander of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, and Lee Jin-woo, former chief of the Capital Defense Command, during a hearing at the Seoul Central District Court. The team also requested a 25-year sentence for former Army Chief of Staff Park An-su, who served as the martial law commander, and 20-year terms for Kwak Jong-geun, former commander of the Army Special Warfare Command, and Moon Sang-ho, former commander of the Military Intelligence Command.

In the case of Kim Hyun-tae, the special counsel, Kwon Chang-young, requested the heavy punishment at the same court, accusing Kim of leading troops to break open the National Assembly's windows and shut off power to the building. The team said such actions had no precedent in the country's constitutional history.

In the other case, Cho's team argued that the defendants fundamentally undermined the core value of democracy by disregarding legal procedures prescribed by the Constitution and attempting to prevent state institutions, including the National Assembly, from exercising their authority through violent means. The team also said four of the defendants, except for Park, took part in the conspiracy and preparations for the martial law declaration well in advance, rather than merely following orders from their superiors.

The team separately criticized Yeo for playing the leading role in the martial law preparations and Lee for issuing orders to arrest politicians and drag lawmakers out of the National Assembly.

The martial law declaration, made by Yoon on Dec. 3, 2024, led to troops being deployed to the National Assembly. The Assembly voted to reject the decree hours later, and the troops withdrew. Yoon was later convicted of leading an insurrection and sentenced to life imprisonment in February; he has appealed that ruling.

The trials of the commanders are ongoing at the Seoul Central District Court, with sentencing decisions pending.