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By Open Chronicle News Desk | January 21, 2026
SEOUL – In a landmark ruling that signals a severe reckoning for the participants of the December 2024 martial law declaration, the Seoul Central District Court has sentenced former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to 23 years in prison. The verdict, delivered on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, marks the first time a former cabinet member has been convicted on criminal charges directly related to the failed insurrection led by ex-President Yoon Suk-yeol.
The sentence came as a shock to legal observers, as the 23-year term significantly exceeded the 15-year prison sentence originally sought by prosecutors.
“Instrumental” in the Insurrection
The court found the 76-year-old Han guilty of “engaging in the key action of insurrection,” along with perjury and forging official documents. Presiding over the case, the judge described Han’s role as facilitating a “top-down insurrection” by orchestrating the appearance of a legitimate cabinet meeting to rubber-stamp President Yoon’s martial law decree.
“The defendant was a prime minister who had been indirectly given democratic legitimacy and responsibility,” the judge stated during the sentencing. “Nevertheless, the defendant chose to turn a blind eye… and participate as a member of the Dec 3 insurrection.”
The court further noted that Han discussed plans to block the functions of major democratic institutions, including the National Assembly, which placed South Korea in danger of returning to a “dark past” of dictatorship and violated the basic rights of its citizens.
From Acting President to Prisoner
Han Duck-soo is a veteran technocrat who has served under five different South Korean presidents. Following the impeachment of Yoon Suk-yeol, Han briefly served as acting president before facing his own impeachment for his role in the martial law crisis.
While the Constitutional Court eventually overturned his impeachment, Han resigned to run in a snap election in June 2025, a bid that ultimately failed due to conservative infighting.
Upon hearing the verdict, Han, dressed in a suit and green tie, told the court, “I will humbly follow the judge’s decision.” However, his legal team has already indicated they will appeal the case to the Supreme Court.
A Bellwether for Yoon Suk-yeol
Han’s conviction is widely viewed as a bellwether for the upcoming trials of former President Yoon Suk-yeol. Last week, Yoon was sentenced to five years in prison for obstructing attempts to arrest him. However, he faces a much more consequential ruling on February 19, where he is charged with “masterminding an insurrection.”
Prosecutors in that case have taken the extraordinary step of seeking the death penalty for the former president. While South Korea has not executed since 1997, the severity of the charges and the 23-year sentence handed to the Prime Minister suggest that the judiciary is prepared to impose the harshest possible penalties for the attempt to subvert the country’s democracy.