Fate of South Korea’s Yoon ‘almost a foregone conclusion’ after Han’s shock prison term

Former prime minister Han Duck-soo’s conviction and unexpectedly harsh prison sentence have sent shock waves through South Korea’s establishment and cast a shadow over impeached ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol, awaiting his own verdict next month.Analysts say the ruling not only dismantles Yoon’s legal narrative that his short-lived martial law decree fell within presidential authority, but also signals that the courts are prepared to impose the heaviest penalties yet for what they formally define as “insurrection from above”.Han’s sentence will guide further rulings related to Yoon’s martial law imposition, they say. Yoon, who has been charged as the “ringleader”, will find out his fate on February 19.The 76-year-old Han was sentenced to 23 years in prison on Wednesday by the Seoul Central District Court after being found guilty of his role in the December 2024 martial law decree, perjury and other offences.It is the first court ruling to officially define the decree as an act of insurrection, rejecting Yoon’s long-standing claim that it was intended to alert the public to the “tyranny” of the opposition-controlled National Assembly.People watch a news report on Han Duck-soo’s court ruling on Wednesday. Photo: ReutersHan’s sentence was eight years longer than the 15 years sought by a team of special prosecutors – a rare outcome in South Korea, where courts more commonly hand down sentences lighter than those requested by the prosecution.