The Seoul Central District Court ruled that the December 2024 decree, issued by then-President Yoon Suk Yeol, constituted an insurrection aimed at subverting the constitutional order in Korea.
The court found that Han, a 76-year-old career technocrat, failed to uphold his duty to oppose the illegal action that threatened Korea’s constitutional system.
“The defendant disregarded his duty and responsibility as prime minister until the very end,” Judge Lee Jin-gwan stated during the televised sentencing.
The 23-year sentence exceeded the prosecution’s request by eight years. Han, who was also convicted of perjury, was ordered to be detained immediately.
Read more: South Korean prosecutors demand death penalty for ex-leader Yoon
Judge Lee noted that although Han expressed concerns to Yoon regarding the decree, he neither explicitly opposed it nor urged other cabinet members to dissuade the president.
Instead, the court found that Han facilitated the necessary procedures, betting on the insurrection’s success. “He ultimately turned his back on these duties… and chose to take part in it,” Lee said. Such events have significantly impacted political discourse in Korea.
Han maintained his innocence throughout the trial. The verdict follows former President Yoon’s recent five-year sentence for obstruction of justice.
Yoon faces a separate judgment on February 19 for leading the insurrection, for which prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Moreover, public reaction in Korea has been intense and emotional.
