Former Prime Minister Han sentenced to 23 years for aiding Yoon's Dec. 3 insurrection

Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was sentenced to 23 years in prison on charges of aiding and abetting an insurrection in relation to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024.

Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is seen in front of Seoul Central District Court on Jan. 21. [YONHAP]

Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was sentenced to 23 years in prison on charges of aiding and abetting an insurrection in relation to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024.

The Seoul Central District Court held the first trial verdict hearing on Wednesday for Han, who was convicted of playing a key role in the insurrection.

The court found that declaring martial law and issuing emergency decrees amounted to an insurrection, meaning that Han had played a critical role in that insurrection by neither expressing opposition to the martial law declaration during the Cabinet meeting, convened just before Yoon's announcement, nor preventing the meeting from taking place in a formal setting.

“The insurrection could have been prevented had Han fulfilled his duty,” the court said. “He also accepted then-Interior Minister Lee Sang-min’s proposal to cut off power and water supplies” to media outlets.

Han, a two-time prime minister under both liberal and conservative governments, was a longtime senior civil servant, particularly known for his economic acumen. He also served as Korea's minister of finance, its ambassador to the United States and the head of the Korea International Trade Association.

After the sentencing, the court instructed that Han be detained immediately, citing concerns that he could destroy evidence.

This marks the first time in Korea's constitutional history that a former prime minister has been detained in court. Updated, Jan 21, 2026: Added information about Han's detention.Correction, Jan. 21, 2026 : Changed the charge Han was convicted of.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY LIM JEONG-WON, JEONG HYE-JEONG [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]