In a landmark ruling, a South Korean court on Wednesday sentenced former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to 23 years in prison for his role in facilitating a failed declaration of martial law that briefly suspended civilian rule.
According to Reuters’, the sentence exceeds the eight years prosecutors had requested.
Judge Lee Jin-gwan of the Seoul Central District Court said Han “disregarded his duty and responsibility as prime minister until the very end,” noting that he helped lend the decree a legal form despite privately expressing concerns.
The martial law declaration, issued in December 2024 by then-President Yoon Suk Yeol, aimed to deploy soldiers to the National Assembly and the National Election Commission.
Lawmakers quickly moved to overturn the order, preventing its full implementation. Yoon was subsequently impeached and removed from office by the Constitutional Court in April 2025, triggering a by-election two months later.
Han, who is 76, was among several senior officials charged for their involvement in the failed martial law attempt.
During the trial, the court heard that Han allowed the decree to follow formal procedures, effectively giving it a veneer of legality, even as he privately voiced reservations.
Judge Lee noted that Han failed to explicitly oppose the order or persuade other cabinet members to intervene, actions that could have prevented its partial execution.
“The defendant is deemed to have played a significant role in the insurrectionary acts of Yoon and others by ensuring, at least formally, compliance with the procedural requirements,” the judge said during a televised sentencing.
Han has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that he neither supported nor assisted in the martial law declaration.
After Yoon’s removal, Han briefly served as acting president and later sought his party’s nomination for the snap election, but his campaign faltered, and he stepped down in May 2025.
The court ordered Han to begin serving his sentence immediately, a verdict that marks one of the harshest penalties handed down to a former South Korean prime minister in recent history.
