Yoon Suk Yeol Insurrection Trial Sentencing Request Delayed to Jan 13

Death, life, or a sudden pause. The final sentencing request for former President Yoon Suk Yeol didn't happen today as expected. In a dramatic turn at the Seoul Central District Court on January 9, 2026, the bench postponed the much-anticipated session to next week.

Why the Yoon Suk Yeol Insurrection Trial Sentencing Request was Delayed

According to Yonhap, the court decided to hold an additional session next Tuesday, January 13, to hear the sentencing request from special counsel Cho Eun-suk and Yoon's final statement. The delay comes after proceedings for other defendants overran. Specifically, lawyers for former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun spent over 10 hours examining evidence, pushing the schedule late into the night.

The legal team for the special counsel is expected to seek one of the three heaviest penalties for the ringleader of an insurrection: death, life imprisonment, or life imprisonment without forced labor. Yoon was indicted last year for his December 3, 2024, declaration of martial law, which saw troops sent to the National Assembly.

The Road to Judgment: Insurrection Trial Timeline

This trial mirrors the historic 1996 proceedings of former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo. Back then, Chun received a death sentence recommendation for his role in a 1979 coup. While South Korea hasn't carried out an execution since 1997, the symbolic weight of the special counsel's request remains immense.