Politics South Korea: 15 years in prison demanded for ex-prime minister
South Korea's special investigators are calling for a 15-year prison sentence for former Prime Minister and former interim president Han Duck Soo.
26.11.2025, 09:48
SDA
The 76-year-old is accused of supporting the then incumbent President Yoon Suk Yeol in declaring martial law in December 2024. "Han was the key person who could have prevented this incident," said Park Ji Young, special investigator for the public prosecutor's office. Han Duck Soo, who is considered an experienced diplomat and government politician, denies the accusation of aiding and abetting sedition.
On December 3 last year, Yoon Suk Yeol unexpectedly declared martial law in the wake of an escalating budget dispute, plunging the country into a national crisis lasting several months. The conservative politician justified his actions by accusing the left-wing opposition of being infiltrated by communist forces and having sympathies for North Korea and China, among other things. The 64-year-old did not provide any evidence for these accusations. The South Korean public prosecutor's office has since charged him with sedition and abuse of office, among other things.
Among all of Yoon's cabinet members currently in custody for their possible complicity in the case, Han Duck Soo is likely to be the first to receive a verdict - probably next January. The recommendation of the special investigators' team for a long prison sentence is therefore also seen as an indicator for the fate of Yoon Suk Yeol. The 64-year-old could theoretically face the death penalty if found guilty, even though South Korea has not carried this out since the late 1990s.
