The Seoul High Court delivered a key appellate ruling for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Thursday. The court reduced Han’s prison sentence from 23 years to 15 years. Nevertheless, it upheld most major charges tied to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s December 2024 martial law declaration. Consequently, this ruling affirmed that Han participated in an insurrection. The court rejected some failure-to-act liability and part of a perjury conviction. Those rejections led to an eight-year sentence reduction.
The appellate ruling found Han guilty of playing a key role in the insurrection. He also falsified official documents and destroyed records. Additionally, the court upheld a perjury conviction for false testimony during Yoon’s impeachment trial. Han helped create the appearance of proper Cabinet review for the martial law declaration. The court strongly criticized Han for abandoning his grave responsibilities as prime minister.
Why did this appellate ruling reduce the sentence? The court rejected two liability-based findings from the lower trial. First, Han could not be held criminally liable for failing to convene the Cabinet properly. Second, the court overturned the finding that Han failed to stop power and water cuts to media outlets. That part had not been charged by the special counsel. Furthermore, the court reversed part of the perjury conviction. Thus, the appellate ruling considered Han’s 50 years of public service as a mitigating factor.
Nevertheless, the court rebuked Han for claiming he could not remember details due to shock. He appeared intent on avoiding responsibility for his actions. Han’s lawyer announced plans to appeal this appellate ruling to the Supreme Court. The special counsel team described the ruling as meaningful despite the reduced sentence. Han remains in custody following his January detention. This appellate ruling sets the stage for further legal battles at the Supreme Court.
