Seoul appeals court docket cuts ex-prime minister’s jail sentence from 23 years to fifteen.
Revealed On 7 Might 2026
A South Korean appeals court docket has lowered the sentence of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo by eight years for crimes regarding ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law.
The decision was issued within the South Korean capital, Seoul, on Thursday.
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Yoon’s decree in December 2024 briefly suspended civilian authorities and plunged South Korea into chaos, but it surely solely lasted about six hours as opposition lawmakers moved rapidly to overturn it in a vote.
A decrease court docket had sentenced Han in January to a heavier-than-expected jail time period of 23 years for partaking within the revolt, in addition to on associated prices of perjury and falsifying an official doc.
However the appeals court docket in Seoul minimize that by eight years on Thursday, with the presiding choose asserting: “We sentence the defendant to fifteen years in jail.”
The court docket nonetheless maintained most of Han’s convictions however lessened the penalties after bearing in mind his “greater than 50 years as a public official previous to the martial legislation declaration”.
“The information additionally make it troublesome to seek out proof exhibiting that the defendant participated extra actively within the revolt, corresponding to by conspiring upfront or systematically main the operation,” the choose mentioned.
Nevertheless, he mentioned Han had “deserted the grave duties arising from the authority and place entrusted to him and as a substitute sided with these taking part within the acts of revolt”.
Han, carrying a white shirt and a darkish swimsuit with no tie, listened to the decision with out exhibiting a lot emotion.
The 76-year-old has been imprisoned since his authentic sentence in January.
Han had denied wrongdoing on all prices besides perjury, saying in November that whereas he regretted not with the ability to cease Yoon from declaring martial legislation, he “by no means agreed to it or tried to assist”.
Han is an skilled technocrat, who served in senior posts below 5 presidents.
He turned the performing president after Yoon was impeached, earlier than his personal impeachment on accusations of getting aided Yoon within the martial legislation declaration.
The Constitutional Courtroom overturned Han’s impeachment, restoring his powers to function chief earlier than he resigned from the submit to run in a snap election in June.
He ended his bid for the presidency following rifts amongst conservatives.
Yoon, who faces eight separate trials, was handed a life sentence in February on prices of “masterminding an revolt”.
Yoon, a former profession prosecutor, denied the costs, arguing he had presidential authority to declare martial legislation and that his motion was aimed toward sounding the alarm over opposition events’ obstruction of presidency.
He has apologised for the “frustration and hardship” introduced upon the folks by his martial legislation decree, however mentioned in an announcement after the sentencing that he stood behind the “sincerity and goal” behind his actions.
