Choo Kyung-ho faces 20-year prison request for martial law vote obstruction

The special counsel team led by Jo Eun-seok has requested a 20-year prison sentence for Daegu Mayor Choo Kyung-ho, who is accused of participating in an insurrection during the December 3 martial law incident. Choo, who served as the floor leader of the People Power Party at the time, is charged with obstructing the National Assembly's vote to lift the martial law.

The prosecution alleges that Choo actively worked to prevent the required number of lawmakers from participating in the vote by changing the meeting location for party members three times, effectively keeping them away from the National Assembly. The special counsel argued that Choo abandoned his constitutional duty to check the executive branch and instead acted to support the insurrection by ensuring the vote failed to reach the necessary 151-member threshold.

In his final statement, Choo maintained his innocence, arguing that the changes in meeting locations were necessary measures to ensure the safety of lawmakers due to police blockades at the National Assembly. He denied any prior coordination with former President Yoon Suk Yeol to obstruct the vote. A first-instance verdict is scheduled for November 18; if convicted of a sentence involving imprisonment, Choo will lose his position as mayor.