Special counsel seeks 5-yr sentence for ex-PM Han over dereliction of duty

Seoul, August 28 - A special counsel team has requested a five-year prison term for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, citing his dereliction of duty in refusing to appoint Constitutional Court justices without valid legal grounds, according to Yonhap News Agency. The request was made during the final hearing of Han's trial at the Seoul Central District Court, which involves charges of dereliction of duty.

The team argued that Han violated constitutional order by declining to appoint the justices, who were nominated by the National Assembly, during his tenure as acting president following the martial law imposition by former President Yoon Suk Yeol in late 2024. Initially sentenced to a 23-year prison term for his involvement in an insurrection, Han's sentence was reduced to 15 years by an appellate court.