The request was made at Seoul Central District Court as Yoon faces charges of abusing power and benefiting an adversary, with prosecutors also seeking 25 years for ex-defense minister Kim Yong Hyun.
Yoon is accused of ordering drone flights over Pyongyang in 2024 to justify martial law, which he imposed for six hours before lawmakers overturned it. His legal team denies the drone allegations.
Yoon was impeached and removed from office in 2025, then arrested and tried on multiple charges. The brief martial law declaration triggered a political crisis, which subsided after Lee Jae Myung’s election and subsequent investigations.
From president to prisoner in two years, what does Yoon's downfall reveal about South Korean democracy?
Yoon's wife and cabinet are jailed. How deep did the conspiracy behind the 2024 martial law declaration run?
Could ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol ultimately face the death penalty for his failed 'self-coup'?
Did President Yoon's alleged drone provocation against Pyongyang directly lead to his historic life sentence?
With Yoon imprisoned, why is South Korea now pursuing nuclear submarines with American support?
How does the new Russia-North Korea military alliance challenge President Lee's policy of 'peaceful coexistence'?