A South Korean court on Wednesday sentenced former prime minister Han Duck-soo to 23 years in prison over charges including engaging in acts of insurrection, APA reports, citing DW.
The charges were linked to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived declaration of martial law in December 2024.
The Seoul Central District Court said it considered Han instrumental in setting up the outward appearance of a cabinet meeting that facilitated the martial law declaration.
A judge said it had been a "top-down insurrection."
"The defendant was a prime minister who had been indirectly given democratic legitimacy and responsibility... Nevertheless, the defendant chose to turn a blind eye... and participate as a member of the December 3 insurrection," the judge said.
"As a result of the defendant's actions, South Korea was in danger of returning to the dark past when the basic rights and liberal democratic order of the people were violated, potentially preventing them from escaping from the quagmire of dictatorship for a long time."
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