South Korea’s ex-PM Han sentenced to 23 years in jail for insurrection tied to martial law

A South Korean court sentenced former prime minister Han Duck-soo to 23 years in prison on January 21, 2026. Han was convicted of aiding and abetting a declaration of martial law that briefly suspended civilian rule. The judge said Han “disregarded his duty and responsibility as prime minister until the very end”. Han’s jail term was eight years longer than what the prosecution had sought.