A South Korean court has reduced Han Duck-soo’s prison sentence for war crimes Story

A Seoul court has appealed to reduce the former prime minister’s sentence from 23 to 15 years.

A South Korean appeals court has reduced former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s sentence by eight years in the case involving former President Yoon Suk Yeol. declaration of martial law.

The decision was made in the capital of South Korea, Seoul, on Thursday.

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Yoon’s decree in December 2024 briefly halted the civilian government and sparked unrest in South Korea, but it lasted nearly six hours as opposition lawmakers moved quickly to overturn the vote.

The lower court had it sentenced Han in January serving a heavier-than-expected 23 years in prison for criminal activity, as well as charges related to perjury and falsifying a government document.

But an appeals court in Seoul cut the eight years on Thursday, and the chief judge announced: “We sentence the accused to 15 years in prison.”

The court upheld most of Han’s convictions but reduced his sentences after taking into account “more than 50 years of service in the government before sentencing”.

“The documents also make it difficult to find evidence that the accused was involved in the riots, such as planning ahead of time or leading the operation,” the judge said.

However, he said that Han “abandoned the important positions that came from the authority and responsibility given to him and instead joined forces with those involved in the crime”.

Han, dressed in a white shirt and black suit without a tie, listened to the verdict without showing any emotion.

The 76-year-old has been behind bars since his first conviction in January.

Han has denied wrongdoing on all charges except for perjury, saying in November that while he regretted not being able to stop Yoon from declaring martial law, he “didn’t agree or try to help”.

Han is a seasoned professional, having served in senior positions under five presidents.

He became the interim president after Yoon’s impeachment, before being indicted on charges of aiding Yoon in the declaration of martial law.

The Constitutional Court overturned Han’s impeachment, restoring his powers as leader before he steps down to run in a snap election in June.

He ended his bid for the presidency following a controversy among conservatives.

Yoon, who faces eight separate charges, was sentenced to life in prison in February on charges of “inciting terrorism”.

Yoon, a former prosecutor, denied the charges, saying he had the power of the president to declare martial law and that his actions were a warning to opposition parties to undermine the government.

He has apologized for the “disappointment and hardship” brought to the people by his martial law, but said in a statement after the decision that he stood behind the “honesty and purpose” behind his actions.