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Special Counsel Appeals Yoon’s Life Sentence as New Team Opens Fresh Probe

The next step is appellate review by special High Court panels, beginning with a March 4 hearing in a separate obstruction case.

FILE - Participants react after hearing the news that South Korea's parliament voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol outside the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on Dec. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)
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Former President Yoon Suk Yeol is seen on a TV screen showing his trial on obstruction of justice and other charges stemming from his 2024 declaration of martial law at Seoul Station in the capital on Jan. 16, 2026. (Yonhap)
People watch a live TV broadcast at Seoul Station in the capital on Feb. 19, 2026, that shows jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol attending a court hearing to receive the first verdict on whether his 2024 imposition of martial law constituted an insurrection following special prosecutors' recommendation of the death penalty. The court convicted Yoon of leading an insurrection through his failed martial law imposition. (Yonhap)

Overview

  • Special Counsel Cho Eun-suk’s office filed an appeal of the life term for insurrection, citing factual errors, legal misunderstandings and inappropriate sentencing.
  • Yoon Suk Yeol’s lawyers lodged their own appeal a day earlier, challenging the ruling that he led an insurrection through his brief Dec. 3, 2024 martial law declaration.
  • The Seoul High Court has designated special appellate divisions for insurrection-related cases, and Criminal Division 1 will open Yoon’s obstruction appeal on March 4.
  • A separate special counsel led by Kwon Chang-young formally launched with a 90-day mandate, taking over files to investigate unresolved allegations including preplanning, suspected first-lady interference and a 2023 Marine’s death.
  • The special counsel also appealed sentences for key co-defendants, while a Democratic Party push to require a three-fifths vote for pardons in insurrection or treason cases faces constitutional criticism.