Former South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo received a 15-year prison sentence from the Seoul High Court on May 11 for his role in the December 3 non-violent martial law declaration.
Sentence Details and Background
The appellate panel in Seoul High Court Criminal Division 12-1, presided over by Judge Lee Seung-chul, issued the ruling. This term exceeds the initial lower court decision by 8 years but falls short of the 23 years sought by prosecutors on May 7.
Han, who served as the cabinet’s first vice chairman and second-in-command, actively participated in the cabinet meeting that approved the martial law measure, according to court findings. The judges determined he played a key part in formalizing the cabinet’s collective decision, which facilitated the process despite underlying suspicions of treasonous intent.
Court Reasoning on Key Charges
The panel stated, “Han Duck-soo, as the first vice chairman of the cabinet, joined the execution of the cabinet’s combined vote—turning it into an official act—and contributed to rescuing those involved while advancing toward North Korea.”
However, evidence proving Han personally endorsed the treason lacked sufficiency, leading to challenges in establishing direct culpability.
Acquittals and Additional Context
The court dismissed one charge due to insufficient grounds for conviction. Earlier arguments claimed Han would never engage in such actions, viewing the prior prime minister’s proposal as something he could not halt. For the second charge, judges noted, “Even if Han fully conveyed his intentions to the prior prime minister, determining he had the means to prevent the treason proposal proves difficult.”
Similar reasoning acquitted related statements from the former presidential chief of staff. Yet, suspicions persist regarding Han’s involvement in National Assembly proceedings, post-martial law treason proposal endorsements, and participation in a prior prime minister’s academic symposium.
Han intends to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
