The special counsel has demanded a 20-year prison sentence for Daegu Mayor Choo Kyung-ho. At the final hearing held at the Seoul Central District Court on September 30, 2026, the prosecution team led by Cho Eun-seok charged Mayor Choo with committing a major offense during the martial law period. The prosecution's stance is that Choo, who was the floor leader of the People Power Party at the time of the emergency martial law declaration on December 3, 2024, intentionally blocked his party members from entering the plenary session hall to prevent a vote on lifting martial law. They also presented specific evidence suggesting that he repeatedly moved the venue of the parliamentary party meeting between the National Assembly and the party headquarters to keep the 108 ruling party lawmakers from reaching the floor.

In contrast, Mayor Choo's side is firmly denying the charges. In their closing argument, his legal team stated that he had never received any direct requests for cooperation from former President Yoon Suk Yeol and was completely unaware of the reality of the sudden emergency martial law declaration. They argued that the frequent changes in the party meeting location were merely physical reactions to find an accessible space amidst the intense chaos within the National Assembly after control lines were established, not an intentional attempt to prevent lawmakers from participating in the vote. Mayor Choo himself pleaded his innocence, labeling the prosecution's indictment as a political investigation targeting him.

The outcome of this trial is directly tied to the future of Daegu's municipal administration, raising tensions within the local community. Under the Local Autonomy Act, if an elected public official receives a final sentence of imprisonment without prison labor or heavier, they immediately lose their office. How the judiciary will evaluate the actions of the ruling party leadership during an unprecedented martial law situation in constitutional history will be determined at the first trial sentencing on November 18.

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