In a landmark verdict that rattled Seoul’s political landscape, a South Korean court on Wednesday sentenced former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to 23 years in prison, finding him guilty of abetting what judges termed an insurrection linked to a short-lived martial law declaration in December 2024.
The Seoul Central District Court concluded that the now-infamous martial law order by then President Yoon Suk Yeol which briefly deployed troops to the National Assembly and election offices crossed the line from executive power to an attempt at subverting the constitutional order. Han, 76, was accused of giving procedural cover to the decree by orchestrating a cabinet meeting that appeared to legalize it.
Presiding Judge Lee Jin-gwan delivered the sentence in a nationally televised proceeding, warning that Han’s actions put South Korea “in danger of returning to the dark past when the basic rights of the people and the liberal democratic order were trampled upon…”
Han has been convicted not just of insurrection, but also of perjury and falsifying official documents related to the crisis. Despite prosecutors initially seeking a 15-year term, the judge imposed a significantly harsher sentence, underscoring the gravity of the breach of democratic norms.
“I will humbly follow the judge’s decision,” Han said after the ruling, standing in a suit and green tie, even as he continues to deny that he ever agreed with or supported the martial law plan.
The conviction marks the first time a senior official tied to the 2024 martial law declaration has faced prison time. Former President Yoon already serving a five-year sentence for related charges faces a separate rebellion trial scheduled for February 19, where prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
