The court will livestream the appellate ruling on July 7 in the case of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is charged with engaging in important duties in an insurrection.
On July 4, the Criminal Division 12-1 of the Seoul High Court (High Court Judges Lee Seung-cheol, Cho Jin-gu, and Kim Min-a) decided to livestream the ruling in the case scheduled for 10 a.m. on July 7 against the former prime minister on charges including engaging in important duties in an insurrection, aiding the ringleader of an insurrection, perjury, and violating the Presidential Records Management Act. The court will film with its own equipment and transmit the feed to broadcasters in real time.
Earlier, special counsel team Cho Eun-suk asked the court at the sentencing hearing on June 7 to impose 23 years in prison, the same as the first-instance sentence.
In its final opinion, the special counsel team said, "The former prime minister sought to remedy procedural defects while checking whether the procedures for declaring martial law were followed," and added, "Even though the National Assembly passed a resolution demanding the lifting of emergency martial law, it was ignored, and this conduct constitutes engaging in important duties in an insurrection."
It continued, "Although the defendant, as prime minister, had a duty to strive to uphold the Constitution and the law, Han joined the insurrection," and said, "Instead of revealing the truth of the insurrection, Han tried to conceal the truth by drafting false official documents and committing perjury."
It also said, "The former prime minister denies the crime and consistently says he does not recall," and added, "As acting president, Han severely divided public opinion by failing to appoint justices to the Constitutional Court."
In a final statement that lasted about five minutes, the former prime minister said, "Former President Yoon suddenly summoned me on Dec. 3, 2024, at night," and added, "I was tremendously shocked when I was notified of a declaration of martial law that I never imagined even in my dreams."
He continued, "As the prime minister at the time who failed to stop the declaration of martial law, I feel infinite responsibility before the people and history, and I spend every moment in self-reproach," and said, "Immediately after martial law, I offered a sincere apology before lawmakers representing the people at the National Assembly plenary session, and that sentiment remains unchanged then and now."
The former prime minister said, "Not for a moment have I forgotten my heavy sense of responsibility, and I offer a sincere apology for causing great pain and anxiety to the people," and added, "I am sorry, as prime minister, for failing to fulfill my duties to my wife, who trusted me and has been with me all my life, to my senior and junior colleagues, and to many public officials."
The former prime minister was indicted without detention in August last year on charges of engaging in important duties in an insurrection for failing to fulfill the obligations of the vice chair of the Cabinet, which can preemptively check and control the president's arbitrary exercise of power, and for failing to stop the illegal declaration of emergency martial law.
He was also charged with conspiring with former Presidential Secretariat Chief of Staff for Aides Kang Ui-gu and others to conceal the procedural defects of emergency martial law by signing a retroactively drafted martial law proclamation and then ordering it destroyed.
He was also charged with perjury for testifying on Feb. 20 last year at the Constitutional Court's impeachment trial of former President Yoon to the effect that he "was not aware of the martial law proclamation."
In the first trial, the court defined the Dec. 3 emergency martial law as an "insurrection from above," a "loyalist coup," and sentenced the former prime minister to 23 years in prison, taking him into custody in court. The sentence is heavier than the special counsel team's first-trial recommendation of 15 years.