Seoul: A South Korean appeals court today reduced the prison sentence of former Prime Minister Han Deok-soo to 15 years from 23 years for his involvement in former President Yoon Seok-yeol's brief declaration of martial law in 2024. The appeals court upheld the lower court's ruling that Han played a significant role in assisting and did not oppose President Yoon's decision at the time.
According to Thai News Agency, the judge stated that 76-year-old Han convened a cabinet meeting to facilitate the legal process for declaring martial law, contradicting his claims that the meeting was intended to suppress former President Yoon. The court also noted that Han was aware of plans to cut off electricity and water to some media outlets but failed to do so, and was found guilty of falsifying official documents and giving false testimony.
However, the court reduced the sentence taking into account Mr. Han's more than 50 years of experience in the public sector, as well as the fact that he became the one to convene the cabinet again to lift martial law after the House of Representatives had rejected it, demonstrating that he was not closely involved in the plan from beginning to end.
Meanwhile, Mr. Yoon, who was previously sentenced to life imprisonment on treason charges, continues to deny all charges and faces trial on eight other cases. His lawyer stated that they will appeal to the Supreme Court to fight all charges except for the perjury charge, which he previously admitted to.