S. Korea's ex-PM Han sentenced to 23 years in prison for aiding insurrection

SEOUL -- South Korea's former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Wednesday was sentenced to 23 years in prison for aiding and abetting the insurrection of the impeached former President Yoon Suk-yeol.

The Seoul Central District Court handed down the prison sentence to Han for abetting the insurrection and engaging in critical duties of the insurrection relevant to Yoon's martial law declaration.

The team of Cho Eun-suk, an independent counsel who led the investigation into Yoon's insurrection and other charges, demanded a 15-year prison term.

The court confirmed that Yoon's declaration of emergency martial law on Dec 3 in 2024 constituted an insurrection aimed at subverting the constitutional order, pointing out that Han helped provide a procedural facade of legitimacy for the illegal martial law by holding an unlawful cabinet meeting.

It ruled that if Han had fulfilled his duties as prime minister, the insurrection could have been prevented, emphasizing that Han concealed documents related to the martial law for his safety while falsifying and subsequently destroying documents to make the martial law appear as if it had followed legal procedures.

Following the sentencing, the court ordered Han's courtroom detention, citing a risk of evidence destruction.

The first-instance ruling on Yoon's insurrection charge was scheduled for Feb 19.