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Cho Eun-suk

Cho Eun-suk

Special Prosecutor

Appears in 2 stories

Notable Quotes

"The greatest victims of the insurrection in this case are the people of this country. There are no mitigating circumstances." — January 13, 2026

"A year-long plot" to consolidate control. — Findings attributed to the investigation in reporting

Stories

South Korea's former president faces death penalty for self-coup

Rule Changes

Leading prosecution team

South Korea has not executed anyone in 28 years. Yet on January 13, 2026, prosecutors asked a Seoul court to sentence former President Yoon Suk Yeol to death. Three days later, a different court convicted him on obstruction of justice charges, handing down a five-year prison sentence—the first of eight criminal verdicts stemming from his six-hour martial law declaration on December 3, 2024. Yoon is the first South Korean president to face execution since military strongman Chun Doo-hwan in 1996, and the first to be criminally sentenced while the country's democratic institutions remain intact.

Updated Jan 20

South Korea fires its top cop for backing Yoon’s martial-law bid

Rule Changes

Directing continuing prosecutions and additional indictments tied to the plot

South Korea just made the quiet part of the 2024 martial-law crisis unmistakably loud: the country’s top police officer is out for good. On December 18, 2025, the Constitutional Court removed National Police Agency chief Cho Ji-ho, ruling he helped former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s power grab by using police to block lawmakers from reaching the National Assembly floor.

Updated Dec 18, 2025