South Korea Appeals Court Reduces Ex-Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's Sentence in Martial Law Case
Al Jazeera Staff
A South Korean appeals court on April 17 reduced former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's sentence from 23 years to 15 years for insurrection tied to ex-President Yoon Suk-yeol's brief martial law decree in December 2024. The court cited Han's long public service and lack of evidence for active insurrection participation, though it found he abandoned his responsibilities by siding with the rebellion. Han, who has denied most charges, previously served as acting president before his own impeachment was overturned.
South Korea's appeals court has reduced former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's sentence by eight years from the lower court's ruling on charges related to ex-President Yoon Suk-yeol's imposition of martial law.
The ruling was issued in Seoul on Thursday (April 17). Yoon's martial law decree in December 2024 temporarily suspended civilian government, plunging South Korea into turmoil, but lasted only about six hours as opposition lawmakers quickly voted to annul it.
Earlier, a lower court sentenced Han in January to a heavier-than-expected 23 years for insurrection, as well as related charges of perjury and falsifying official documents.
However, the Seoul High Court cut the prison term by eight years on Thursday. The presiding judge declared: “We sentence the defendant to 15 years in prison.”
The court upheld most of Han's convictions but mitigated the sentence after considering “his more than 50 years as a public servant before the imposition of martial law.”
“It is also difficult to find evidence that the defendant participated more actively in the insurrection, such as by prior conspiracy or systematically directing the campaign,” the judge said.
Nevertheless, the judge found that Han had “abandoned the important responsibilities arising from the authority and position entrusted to him, instead siding with those who engaged in insurrectionary acts.”
Han, wearing a white shirt and a dark suit without a tie, listened to the ruling with little emotion. The 76-year-old former prime minister has been in detention since his initial sentence in January.
Han has denied wrongdoing on all charges except perjury. He said in November that while he regrets not being able to stop Yoon from enacting martial law, he “never agreed to or attempted to help.”
Han is a seasoned technocrat who has held senior positions under five presidents. He became acting president after Yoon was impeached, before being impeached himself for allegedly abetting Yoon in the martial law declaration.
The Constitutional Court rejected Han's impeachment, restoring his leadership before he resigned to run in a snap election in June. He ended his presidential campaign after divisions emerged within the conservative bloc.
Former President Yoon, who faced eight separate trials, was sentenced to life imprisonment in February for “masterminding an insurrection.” Yoon, a former prosecutor, denies the charges, arguing he had presidential authority to declare martial law and that the act was meant to warn against opposition parties' obstruction of the government.
He has apologized for the “disappointment and hardship” his martial law decree caused the public, but stated after sentencing that he still stands by “the sincerity and purpose” behind his actions.
