Anchor: On the eve of the anniversary of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration, President Lee Jae Myung said coup d'etat perpetrators should be punished like war criminals. Lee advocated that such individuals face stringent and lifelong punishment during a heated Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Rosyn Park reports.

Report: A day before the anniversary of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration, President Lee Jae Myung called for the harsh punishment of those who attempt to overthrow the state or abuse state power.

Lee said while presiding over a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul's Yongsan District on Tuesday that those who engage in acts such as a coup d'etat, fabricating criminal charges and killing by torture should face criminal punishment for as long as they live, "like Nazi war criminals."

Lee said democracy and constitutional order faced a major crisis last year when martial law was declared on December 3, and that “citizens drove out the darkness of that night with their revolution of light.”

The president also advocated that the heirs of such perpetrators be held liable, within the scope of inherited assets, to prevent recurrence. 

He also asked lawmakers to expedite a bill that would abolish the statute of limitations on state crimes and violence. 

The president added that unmasking the “hidden shadows of insurrection" will open the door to a new beginning and achieve national unity. 

On Wednesday, Lee will participate in a march to mark the anniversary of the declaration with several political parties in attendance. Earlier in the day, he will deliver a speech and host a luncheon to reflect on the day's significance.

The march is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in front of the National Assembly.
Rosyn Park, KBS World Radio News.