Ex-South Korean PM Han jailed for 23 years

Former South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck‑soo has been sentenced to 23 years imprisonment.

Han was sentenced to prison on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, for aiding and abetting a declaration of martial law that briefly suspended civilian rule and plunged South Korea into chaos.

Judge Lee Jin-gwan of the Seoul Central District Court said the former prime minister “disregarded his duty and responsibility as prime minister until the very end”.

“We sentence the defendant to 23 years in prison,” the judge added.

The sentence is eight years longer than prosecutors demanded.

The 76-year-old career technocrat was ordered to report to prison immediately after the ruling.

Judge Lee said the martial law decree by Han’s boss Yoon Suk Yeol in December 2024 was intended with the “aim of subverting the constitutional order” and amounted to insurrection.

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Yoon’s stunning imposition of martial law saw armed troops deployed to the National Assembly and the National Election Commission before it was vetoed by the opposition‑led parliament.

In the aftermath, Yoon was impeached and removed by the Constitutional Court in April, triggering an election two months later.

Han is one of many former officials – including Yoon – who have stood trial over their roles in the martial law attempt.

“The defendant is deemed to have played a significant role in the insurrectionary acts of Yoon and others by ensuring, at least formally, compliance with the procedural requirement,” AFP quoted Judge Lee as saying in a televised sentencing.

Lee added that while Han “voiced concerns to Yoon” over the move, he failed to “explicitly oppose it” or urge other cabinet members to dissuade Yoon from it.

During the course of the trial, Han denied wrongdoing, insisting he had never supported or helped the martial law declaration.

The Star