South Korea cuts former PM Han Duck-soo's prison term to 15 years

A Seoul high court on Thursday reduced former prime minister Han Duck‑soo’s prison sentence from 23 to 15 years for his role in ex‑president Yoon Suk‑yeol’s brief declaration of martial law in December 2024. The court upheld most of the lower‑court convictions, finding Han guilty of participating in insurrection, falsifying a presidential document and perjury. Judges said Han, as prime minister, “abandoned the enormous duty and joined the side participating in insurrection” and was aware of plans to cut power and water to media outlets during the martial‑law period.

The reduced sentence reflected Han’s five‑decade public‑service career, but the court noted a lack of clear evidence that he actively directed Yoon’s plan. Han, 76, denied wrongdoing except for perjury, maintaining he never agreed to the martial‑law proclamation. He plans to appeal the ruling. Yoon Suk‑yeol, who faces eight separate trials, has already been sentenced to life imprisonment for leading the same insurrection.