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Former South Korean PM Han Duck-soo Sentenced to 23 Years Over Role in Martial Law Bid

By The South Asia Times

SEOUL - Former South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was sentenced to 23 years in prison Wednesday for playing a key role in an insurrection by abetting former President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief imposition of martial law.

The Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence in the first ruling to confirm that the declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, and the actions that followed, constituted an insurrection, according to Yonhap News.

The punishment exceeded the 15 years sought by special counsel Cho Eun-suk’s team, who had charged Han with abetting the ringleader of an insurrection, playing a key role in the uprising, and committing perjury.

Judge Lee Jin-gwan, presiding over the case, ordered Han to be placed in custody immediately, citing concerns that he could destroy evidence.

The court found that Han played an active role in the events leading to the martial law declaration. He proposed that Yoon convene a Cabinet meeting before issuing the decree, did not oppose the declaration during the meeting, and reportedly encouraged then Interior Minister Lee Sang-min to carry out orders to cut off power and water to media outlets critical of the administration.

“The defendant had a duty, as prime minister indirectly vested with democratic legitimacy, to uphold the Constitution and make every effort to defend it,” Judge Lee said during the live-televised sentencing hearing. “Even so, he neglected this duty until the end, acting as if the Dec. 3 insurrection might succeed, and chose to participate as a member.”

Han is the first member of Yoon’s Cabinet to be sentenced over the martial law decree, which was lifted after six hours following a vote by the National Assembly.

The ruling marks a historic moment in South Korea’s democratic accountability, setting a precedent for how high-ranking officials may be held responsible for attempts to subvert constitutional order.