S Korea’s former PM found guilty of insurrection, given 23 years in prison

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Ted RegenciaJanuary 21, 2026 at 08:28 AM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

Former South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was sentenced to 23 years in prison on Wednesday after being found guilty of insurrection. The Seoul Central District Court convicted Han for his role in abetting ex-President Yoon Suk-yeol's short-lived martial law declaration in December 2024. Specifically, Han was found to have failed to hold a lawful cabinet meeting following the decree, as required by South Korean law. Judge Lee Jin-gwan stated that Han's actions endangered South Korea's democratic order. Han, who denied prior knowledge of Yoon's martial law plan, is the first member of Yoon's cabinet to be jailed in connection to the event. Yoon himself was recently sentenced to five years in prison for his role in imposing martial law.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Lee Jin-gwan 40% Seoul Central District Court 50% Martial Law Declaration ×370% Yoon Suk-yeol ×580% Han Duck-soo ×690% South Korea ×6100%

Keywords

martial law 100% han duck-soo 100% insurrection 90% yoon suk-yeol 80% south korea 80% prison sentence 70% former prime minister 70% cabinet meeting 60% political scandal 50% abuse of power 40%