채윤환
| 2026-01-26 17:05:51
ex-PM-insurrection trial
Ex-PM Han, special counsel appeal 23-yr prison sentence in insurrection case
SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Yonhap) -- Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and a special counsel team on Monday both appealed against a court ruling sentencing him to 23 years in prison for playing a key role in an insurrection over former President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief imposition of martial law.
Last Wednesday, the Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence, making Han the first member of Yoon's Cabinet to be convicted in connection to the former president's declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024.
Han's legal team submitted the appeal earlier Monday, while special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team also filed an appeal to challenge not-guilty verdicts on some charges in the ruling, including allegations that Han delayed a Cabinet meeting convened to lift the decree.
In last week's ruling, the court confirmed for the first time that Yoon's declaration of martial law constituted an insurrection, saying it amounted to a "self-coup."
The punishment was heavier than the 15 years sought by special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team, with Han being placed under custody after the ruling due to concerns of evidence destruction.
The court said the former prime minister took part in the insurrection by proposing that Yoon convene a Cabinet meeting before declaring the decree.
It also found Han guilty of signing a revised proclamation after the decree was lifted in a bid to enhance its legitimacy, discarding it and lying under oath at the Constitutional Court.
A Seoul High Court trial division dedicated to handling cases connected to Yoon's martial law bid is expected to handle Han's appeal. The special division is scheduled to launch on Feb. 23.
(END)
[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]