The Seoul High Court on Thursday commuted the prison sentence of South Korea's former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to 15 years, reducing a previous term of 23 years. The ruling comes as part of the ongoing legal fallout from the insurrection led by former President Yoon Suk-yeol.
A Reduced Sentence for Grave Actions
While the court shortened the term, the judiciary emphasized that Han's actions were severe. The court noted that Han abandoned his critical responsibility as the nation's second-in-command by joining the insurrection, stressing that his guilt remains grave.
Han had originally been sentenced to 23 years by the Seoul Central District Court on January 21, following his indictment without detention in August 2025. Despite efforts by an independent counsel team led by Cho Eun-suk to seek a full 23-year term during the appeal, the High Court opted for the reduced sentence.
Roots of the Crisis
The legal proceedings trace back to the night of December 3, 2024, when President Yoon Suk-yeol declared emergency martial law. Although the National Assembly revoked the declaration hours later, the event triggered a massive political crisis. Former President Yoon was subsequently sentenced to life in prison in February for ringleading the insurrection.
Han was charged with engaging in critical duties relevant to the martial law declaration. He was further accused of signing and then discarding a backdated martial law proclamation, as well as giving false testimony during the constitutional court's impeachment trial of Yoon.
Next Legal Steps
Following the second-instance ruling, Han's legal team reported that they intend to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. Han has been in custody since the lower court's verdict was delivered in January.
Reference(s):
Sentence for S. Korea's ex-PM shortened to 15 years on appeal
cgtn.com
