Ex-PM Han Duck-soo 23-year Sentence Confirms 2024 Martial Law as Insurrection

The sentence was eight years longer than what prosecutors asked for. On Jan. 21, 2026, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to 23 years in prison. It's the first judicial ruling to officially label the martial law decree of Dec. 3, 2024, as an act of insurrection.

Han Duck-soo 23-year Sentence: Court Defines Martial Law as Insurrection

According to Yonhap News, Judge Lee Jin-gwan handed down a punishment far heavier than the 15-year term sought by Special Counsel Cho Eun-suk. The court found Han guilty of proposing the Cabinet meeting that led to the decree and encouraging the cutoff of utilities to media outlets critical of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.

"The defendant neglected his duty to defend the Constitution and chose to participate as a member of the insurrection," the judge stated during the televised hearing. While Han denied prior knowledge of the plan, the court cited concerns over evidence destruction and ordered his immediate detention. Han becomes the first member of the former Cabinet to be sentenced over the six-hour martial law episode.

Implications for Yoon Suk Yeol's Verdict

This ruling sets a grim precedent for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose trial for leading the insurrection concluded last week. The special counsel has demanded the death penalty for Yoon, with the verdict scheduled for Feb. 19. Legal experts suggest that since the court has now defined the decree as a "self-coup" aimed at subverting state authority, the ringleader is unlikely to escape a severe sentence.