The prosecution’s request for a 10-year prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol marks a defining moment for the country’s constitutional order. This is not merely the first sentencing demand to emerge from the multiple trials linked to the Dec. 3 martial law crisis; it is a test of whether the rule of law can hold even the most powerful to account. The gravity of the charges and the defendant’s conduct in the aftermath leave little room for leniency. A heavy sentence, potentially including the maximum punishment allowed by law, is not only justified but unavoidable. At the sentencing hearing, the special prosecutors described Yoon’s actions as a fundamental betrayal of constitutional duty. As president, Yoon was entrusted with safeguarding the Constitution and the legal order. Prosecutors argued that he abused state power to obstruct a lawful arrest, mobilized security forces as if they were a private militia and sought to conceal and rationalize his actions rather than confront their illegality. Even at the final hearing, Yoon offered neither an apology nor reflect