Responding to prosecutors seeking the death penalty for former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol over his imposition of martial law in December 2024, Amnesty International’s Chiara Sangiorgio said:
“No one is above the law, including a former president, but seeking the death penalty is a step backward. The death penalty is an inherently cruel, inhuman and irreversible punishment that has no place in a justice system that claims to respect human rights.
“Yoon’s imposition of martial law in December 2024 placed fundamental human rights at risk and has prompted prosecutors to seek his execution. While accountability is essential, pursuing the death penalty undermines the very principles of rights and human dignity that the rule of law is meant to protect.
“As a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, South Korea should move toward abolition of the death penalty.”
Background
Former South Korean President Yoon is accused of leading an insurrection over his declaration of martial law in December 2024. The move was met with mass protests, and lawmakers forced their way into the National Assembly to vote to lift the martial law order within hours. Yoon was subsequently impeached and removed from office by the Constitutional Court.
Amnesty International opposes the death penalty unconditionally, in all circumstances.