The court rejected the arrest warrant for Han Duck-soo, the former Prime Minister, who faces charges of aiding a rebellion and perjury. The court found that there was little concern that Han would destroy evidence or flee. Additionally, the court determined that there is room to dispute the facts regarding the charges against Han.
On the 27th, Director General Jung Jae-wook of the Seoul Central District Court rejected the arrest warrant for the former Prime Minister facing charges of aiding in a rebellion. Prior to this, Director General Jung held a pre-arrest questioning session for the former Prime Minister from 1:30 p.m. and deliberated on whether to issue the warrant.
Director General Jung explained the grounds for the rejection, stating, "There is room to dispute the legal evaluation regarding the important facts and the suspect's series of actions, alongside the evidence gathered up to this point about the charges, the progress of the investigation, and the suspect's current status, making it difficult to justify concerns about destroying evidence beyond the exercise of the right to defend oneself."
He further added, "Considering the suspect's background, age, residency and family relations, attendance situation during the investigation, and statement attitude, it is also difficult to see a concern of flight."
Earlier, the special investigation team led by Jo Eun-seok filed an arrest warrant for the former Prime Minister on the 24th, accusing him of aiding a rebellion, perjury, preparing false public documents, damaging public documents, violating the Presidential Archives Management Act, and using false public documents.
The special investigation team believes that the former Prime Minister, as the so-called "second in command" of the government, failed to prevent the declaration of emergency martial law by former President Yoon Suk-yeol on Dec. 3 last year and instead aided it. Proposals for the declaration of martial law by the Minister of National Defense or the Minister of the Interior and Safety must go through the Prime Minister. The special investigation team judged that the former Prime Minister's suggestion to convene the State Council prior to the declaration of martial law was not an act to prevent the martial law but rather a procedure to be followed.
The former Prime Minister also faces charges of preparing and discarding a subsequent declaration document to rectify the legal flaws in the initial martial law declaration. There are allegations that on Dec. 5 last year, he signed a false martial law declaration document prepared by former President's Office Secretary General Kang Ui-gu alongside former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun and directed its disposal.