A South Korean appeals court on Thursday reduced the prison sentence of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to 15 years for his involvement in then-President Yoon Suk Yeol's ill-fated imposition of martial law in December 2024.
Background of the Case
Han, a Yoon appointee, was initially sentenced to 23 years by a Seoul district court in January. Yoon himself received a life sentence for rebellion the following month. The Seoul High Court upheld most of Han's convictions but reduced his term.
Convictions Upheld
The court upheld charges that Han attempted to create a veneer of legitimacy for Yoon's illegal decree by securing its endorsement at a Cabinet meeting and discussing plans to cut water and electricity to critical media agencies. It also affirmed convictions for falsifying the martial law proclamation, destroying it, and lying under oath.
The Seoul High Court stated that Han's "criminal liabilities are very grave" because he "abandoned his immense responsibilities" as the second-highest official in the Yoon administration and participated in the rebellion.
Legal Analysis
Park SungBae, a criminal law specialist, noted that both the district and appeals courts viewed Han's charges as extremely serious. However, the High Court likely deemed a 15-year sentence appropriate given rulings on other participants, such as Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, who received seven years. The special prosecutor had requested a 15-year sentence during Han's trial. Park described the original 23-year sentence as higher than expected but still within the normal range for such crimes.
Next Steps
Han and the prosecution have seven days to appeal Thursday's ruling to the Supreme Court. Han, 76, is a career bureaucrat who served as prime minister twice over 40 years of public service—first under liberal President Roh Moo-hyun (2007–2008) and later under conservative Yoon. He was one of three caretaker leaders after Yoon's suspension from office due to the martial law gambit.
Yoon was impeached by lawmakers and permanently removed by the Constitutional Court in April last year. His liberal rival, Lee Jae Myung, succeeded him after winning a snap election.
