Civil society groups are calling for harsh sentences for Yoon Suk Yeol and other defendants accused of insurrection ahead of the second anniversary of the December 3 emergency martial law.
On the morning of November 11, 65 civil society organizations, including the Participation Solidarity, the Lawyers for a Democratic Society, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, and the Military Human Rights Center, held a joint press conference in front of the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, urging for severe penalties in Yoon's appeal trial.
The groups criticized Yoon and other key defendants, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, for justifying their actions while denying the unconstitutionality and illegality of the emergency martial law, despite receiving heavy sentences in the first trial.
Kang Mun-dae, president of the Lawyers for a Democratic Society, stated, "Yoon Suk Yeol made shameless claims in his appeal's final statement, mentioning a 'persuasive martial law' and asserting respect for the National Assembly." He pointed out that the appellate court has postponed its ruling until the end of January next year, delaying judicial accountability. He added, "One cannot help but question whether there is an organized trend to excessively narrow the criteria for establishing insurrection from lower courts to the Supreme Court, granting a de facto amnesty."
The groups also raised concerns about recent reductions in sentences or acquittals for major defendants in insurrection-related trials. They specifically mentioned the sentence reductions for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae, as well as the first trial acquittals of eight military personnel involved in the so-called 'Lotteria meeting,' questioning the judiciary's commitment to punishing insurrection.
Jin Young-jong, co-representative of the Participation Solidarity, emphasized, "The judiciary, which has received a historical mandate from the citizens, must thoroughly reveal the crimes of insurrectionists and swiftly carry out judicial judgment." He criticized the judiciary for excessively granting reductions and acquittals based on legal reasoning that deviates from common sense.
Kim Jae-ha, co-representative of the Korean Progressive Alliance, stated, "It is only natural to impose severe sentences on the leaders who committed the gravest crime of insurrection in South Korea." He urged the judiciary to impose harsh penalties on insurrectionists who threaten the lives of citizens and undermine democracy.
Criticism of the judiciary continued. Lim Tae-hoon, director of the Military Human Rights Center, pointed out that after revealing the 'Insurrection Grand Record' he compiled while observing insurrection-related trials, the use of laptops by activists in the courtroom has been restricted.
Lim stated, "Are you willing to listen to the lengthy excuses of insurrection defendants while restricting the laptops of citizens taking notes? The screen may have shrunk, but the eyes of surveillance have not." He expressed his determination to continue monitoring the trials.
He added, "Judicial independence is not a shield against criticism of verdicts," and urged judges to not hide behind independence but to answer what message lenient rulings send to the military.
The participating organizations stated in their press conference statement, "Tolerance towards yesterday's insurrection forces will only encourage future attempts at insurrection," and demanded that the court set strict standards for punishing insurrection and cease all forms of leniency or sentence reductions.
Meanwhile, the trial of Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of being the leader of the insurrection has been ongoing for about 19 months since the first hearing in April last year. In February of this year, Yoon was sentenced to life imprisonment, while Kim and former Commander Noh Sang-won received sentences of 30 years and 18 years, respectively.
On November 5, the arguments in the appeal trial for Yoon and other key defendants in the insurrection case concluded, with a ruling expected on January 26 next year.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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