Seoul: A special counsel team on Tuesday sought an 18-year prison term for a former Army special forces commander over his alleged role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's 2024 martial law bid. Kim Hyun-tae, former commander of the 707th Special Missions Group, is accused of leading troops to secure the National Assembly after Yoon's martial law declaration on December 3, 2024.

According to Yonhap News Agency, special counsel Kwon Chang-young requested the heavy punishment at the Seoul Central District Court during Kim's trial on charges of playing a key role in an insurrection. The team accused Kim of leading troops to break open the National Assembly's windows and shut off power to the building, adding such actions had no precedent in the country's constitutional history.

Yoon's martial law bid ultimately failed after the National Assembly voted to reject his decree, hours after its declaration. Martial law troops withdrew from the National Assembly following the vote. Yoon was sentenced to life imprisonment for leading an insurrection through his failed bid in February. He has appealed the ruling.