A South Korean appeals court on Thursday reduced former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s prison sentence from 23 years to 15 years over his role in ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol’s brief imposition of martial law in 2024.
While reducing the sentence, the court upheld the lower court’s central finding that Han, as the second-highest official in the executive branch, carried out key administrative acts that helped Yoon implement the illegal declaration of martial law and failed in his constitutional duty to dissuade the president.
The 76-year-old former premier was found to have convened a late-night cabinet meeting to facilitate the legal and administrative procedures required to impose martial law. The lead judge rejected the defence’s argument that the meeting had been intended to delay or obstruct Yoon’s directives.
The court also highlighted evidence concerning plans to suppress the media. Judges ruled that Han was aware of a contingency plan by the former safety minister to cut power and water supplies to selected media organisations during the martial law period, but took no action to stop it.
“The defendant, as prime minister, had the responsibility to curb and control the president’s wrongful execution of his power and help him legally exercise his authority,” the lead judge said in remarks read in court. “But he abandoned the enormous duty and joined the side participating in insurrection. He committed crimes afterwards to cover up his guilt, so his crime is grave.”
Alongside the main insurrection charges, the appeals court also found Han guilty of falsifying a presidential document and committing perjury during subsequent national inquiries.
The court said the reduced sentence reflected several mitigating factors, including Han’s five decades in public service. Judges cited his senior roles at the finance and foreign ministries before he became prime minister.
The judge also said prosecutors had failed to prove that Han was a leading architect or active participant in Yoon’s original plan to seize power.
The court noted that Han’s actions changed as the crisis developed. Hours after the declaration, as thousands of protesters gathered in the streets and parliament voted to overturn the decree despite the presence of troops, Han convened the second cabinet meeting required to rescind martial law.
The lower court had taken a tougher stance in its January ruling, sentencing Han to 23 years in prison. It said he had deliberately “turned a blind eye” to the martial law plan and played a key role in the insurrection.
Prosecutors had initially sought a 15-year sentence before the first ruling, but later moved to uphold the 23-year term during the appeal process.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Han denied wrongdoing on all charges except perjury. Speaking in court in November, he said he regretted failing to stop Yoon from declaring martial law but “never agreed to it or tried to help.”
After Thursday’s ruling, Han’s lawyers confirmed they would appeal to South Korea’s Supreme Court.
Han’s case is part of the wider legal fallout from the 2024 crisis, which pushed South Korean democracy to the brink.
Former president Yoon Suk Yeol is facing eight separate criminal trials linked to the martial law declaration. He has already been sentenced to life imprisonment on the most serious charge of leading a violent insurrection.
Like Han, Yoon has denied wrongdoing, arguing that his actions were necessary for national security — a defence rejected by the courts.
Small businesses across Russia are increasingly feeling the impact of tighter internet restrictions, including ...
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te has reaffirmed the island’s commitment to sovereignty and regional ...
The global housing crisis has reached what UN officials describe as “staggering” proportions, with nearly...
The 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) opened in Baku with ministers, UN officials and urban policy leaders. Participants call for ...
Thousands of displaced families in Gaza are facing growing infestations of rats and insects as worsening sanita...
The 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) opened in Baku with ministers, UN officials and urban policy leaders. Participants call for action on housing, sustainable development and resilient cities, as rapid urbanisation is placing pressure on infrastructure, services and living conditions.
Thousands of displaced families in Gaza are facing growing infestations of rats and insects as worsening sanitation conditions and mounting waste deepen the humanitarian crisis across overcrowded camps, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
At least four people have been killed in a major Ukrainian drone attack on Russian territory, including the Moscow region, which authorities say faced its largest aerial assault in more than a year.
The World Urban Forum (WUF) opens this week in Baku, Azerbaijan, bringing together governments, city leaders, urban planners, researchers and civil society to exchange ideas on how cities can become more inclusive, resilient and sustainable.
Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, taking victory in a final overshadowed by a boycott over Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza.
At least eight people were injured after a driver rammed a car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, authorities said on Saturday. Four of the victims were reported to be in serious condition.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could destroy Iran’s infrastructure “in two days,” while Tehran warned the U.S. would face growing economic costs from the conflict. The remarks came as Hezbollah reported new attacks on Israeli forces despite an extended Lebanon ceasefire.
At least eight people have died and 32 others were injured after a freight train collided with a public bus at a railway crossing in Bangkok on Saturday (16 May), triggering a fire that quickly spread through the vehicle.
U.S. President Donald Trump says China's Xi Jinping agreed Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran prepares a new shipping mechanism. Tensions over the U.S. blockade and stalled nuclear talks continue to disrupt global oil supplies.
Small businesses across Russia are increasingly feeling the impact of tighter internet restrictions, including limits on the messaging app Telegram, stricter controls on virtual private networks, and repeated mobile internet outages.
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te has reaffirmed the island’s commitment to sovereignty and regional stability following the recent meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
At least four people have been killed in a major Ukrainian drone attack on Russian territory, including the Moscow region, which authorities say faced its largest aerial assault in more than a year.
China has launched the world’s first experiment to study how artificial human embryos develop in space, marking a major step in understanding whether humans could one day reproduce beyond Earth.
Every day, an elderly woman in China’s Shandong province looks forward to a video call from her son. He asks about her health, tells her he has been busy with work, and promises he will come home once he has saved enough money. She tells him she misses him. He tells her to take care of herself.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment