November 27, 2025
SEOUL – A special counsel team investigating last year’s illegal attempt to impose martial law requested a 15-year prison sentence for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, setting the stage for what will likely be the court’s first ruling on whether the emergency decree constitutes insurrection.
Prosecutors accused Han of aiding former President Yoon Suk Yeol in an unconstitutional bid to impose emergency military rule.
During a closing hearing Wednesday at the Seoul Central District Court, the special counsel led by prosecutor Cho Eun-seok argued that Han, as the nation’s No. 2 executive official, had a constitutional duty to restrain presidential overreach but instead “abandoned his obligations and assisted an unlawful act.”
“On Dec. 3, 2024, the defendant failed in his duty as prime minister and deputy chair of the Cabinet,” prosecutors said. “Rather than restraining the president, he supported Yoon’s unconstitutional declaration of martial law.”
They described the case as “an unprecedented action in Korean constitutional history, in which a sitting president committed an act of rebellion and the prime minister, who is obligated to prevent such abuse, joined instead.”
Han reportedly apologized for causing confusion, adding that “(I) do not agree with the martial law declaration even though I couldn’t stop it.”
Prosecutors stressed the severity of the alleged crimes, calling the Dec. 3 martial law attempt “a terrorist act against Korean democracy” that “inflicted enormous damage to national dignity and public trust.”
They argued that harsh punishment was needed “to ensure such history is never repeated.”
Han was indicted in August on charges of abetting the ringleader of an insurrection, participating in key duties of an attempted insurrection and perjury.
The charge of participating in key duties of a rebellion is punishable by death, life imprisonment or a minimum of five years in prison. Aiding the leader of a rebellion carries a sentence of 10 to 50 years in prison.
Although Han has claimed he opposed martial law and attempted to dissuade Yoon, the special counsel said security camera evidence from the presidential office shows he effectively cooperated.
Prosecutors also accused Han of signing a backdated martial law proclamation drafted by former presidential secretary Kang Yi-goo to cover legal flaws in the initial declaration, alongside Yoon and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, before allegedly ordering the document destroyed.
He is further charged with perjury for telling the Constitutional Court in February that he was unaware of the proclamation.
The first-instance ruling is scheduled for Jan. 21, which would make Han the first Cabinet member tried over the Dec. 3 martial law to receive a ruling.
A verdict typically follows one to two months after the closing arguments.