DP welcomes death sentence request for Yoon, PPP stays mum

The Democratic Party (DP) expressed support for prosecutors seeking the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of leading an insurrection, while the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) offered no official response.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a trial hearing on insurrection charges at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul on Dec. 29, 2025. [YONHAP]

The Democratic Party (DP) expressed support for prosecutors seeking the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of leading an insurrection, while the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) offered no official response.

In a written briefing on Wednesday, DP floor spokesperson Mun Geum-ju called the death penalty request “a necessary decision to uphold the Constitution.”

“This ruling will be a historic declaration shaping how Korea remembers and punishes insurrection,” Mun said.

Rep. Jeon Hyun-heui of the DP echoed that view in an interview with CBS Radio, saying prosecutors had “no choice but to seek the death penalty” given Yoon’s lack of remorse.

DP leader Jung Chung-rae shared a post on Facebook shortly after the sentencing request on Tuesday, writing, “Justice will prevail. Neither the court of history nor the present court will tolerate insurrection, like the case with Chun Doo Hwan.”

Chun, a former general who seized power through a military coup, was convicted of insurrection and treason in 1996 for leading the 1979 coup and the violent suppression of the 1980 pro-democracy protests in Gwangju. He was initially sentenced to death, which was later reduced to life imprisonment, before he was eventually pardoned in 1997.

“The death penalty request for Yoon Suk Yeol as the ringleader of the insurrection is a stern judgment for undermining the constitutional order and the most basic response the law can offer,” the DP's senior spokesperson Park Soo-hyun said in a written briefing. “We will continue to watch to the end to ensure the outcome aligns with what the public sees as just.”

Some DP members went further, calling directly for a death sentence.

“To prevent a recurrence of insurrection and protect democracy, the highest possible sentence — the death penalty — must be confirmed not only in the first trial but also in the final ruling,” DP Supreme Council member Hwang Myung-sun wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.

Fellow council member Lee Sung-yoon noted that former President Chun also faced both a death penalty request and sentence, and argued that the court must send a "clear historical warning" in Yoon’s case.

The push for capital punishment stands in contrast to the DP’s longstanding opposition to the death penalty, with the party having introduced bills to abolish it 10 times.

In November 2023, Rep. Park Jie-won and 64 DP lawmakers proposed a special bill to replace it with life imprisonment, calling the death penalty unconstitutional.

Rep. Park Jie-won of the Democratic Party speaks during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at the National Assembly in western Seoul on Dec. 9, 2025. [KIM SEONG-RYONG]

“I’ve worked closely with Amnesty International to push for abolition,” Park said on SBS Radio. “But this isn’t the same. For a coup attempt in the 21st century, a death sentence is necessary.”

Other DP lawmakers echoed this opinion.

“I oppose the death penalty, but for a remorseless traitor who betrayed the nation, it is justified," former DP lawmaker Park Yong-jin wrote on Facebook.

Han Chang-min, leader of the Social Democratic Party, said the law must hold Yoon “fully accountable with the maximum sentence.”

As of Wednesday morning, the PPP had yet to release an official statement about the death penalty request for Yoon.

Some PPP lawmakers expressed regret but stopped short of commenting on the case.

“It’s heartbreaking, given that he’s a former president from our party,” Rep. Kwon Young-jin said. “We feel deep remorse toward the nation.”

PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok declined to comment on the matter, saying only that he expects the "court to conduct a fair trial."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY LEE CHAN-KYU [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]