September 17, 2025
SEOUL – The Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday held the first preparatory hearing in the criminal trial of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who faces six key charges, including abetting the imposition of martial law, forging public documents, circulating forged public documents, destroying public documents and violating the Act on the Management of Presidential Archives.
The preparatory hearing was held to discuss how the trial will proceed, to confirm the positions of both the defendant and the prosecution regarding the charges and to arrange the schedule for the examination of evidence. It is not mandatory for defendants to appear in court for a preparatory hearing.
Han is accused of failing to prevent and possibly aiding the unconstitutional imposition of martial law while serving as vice chair of the Cabinet meeting on the night of Dec. 3, 2024.
The former prime minister is believed to have proposed the Cabinet meeting, held before former President Yoon Suk Yeol imposed martial law, to make it appear as though the declaration was made under legal procedures.
Han and his attorneys were expected to deny the charges, as he reportedly insisted during questioning by a special counsel in mid-August that the Cabinet convened to prevent the declaration of martial law.
The Constitutional Court of Korea, which dismissed the impeachment of the then-suspended prime minister, previously concluded that there was no evidence to back the National Assembly’s accusation that Han convened the Cabinet meeting before the declaration to lend legitimacy to Yoon’s martial law declaration.
But the special counsel team has said that the Constitutional Court delivered its verdict before sufficient evidence had been collected, adding that the case was dismissed due to a lack of objective evidence.
Assistant special counsel Park Ji-young explained that the special counsel team was launched after the Constitutional Court’s decision and a significant amount of evidence has been collected, suggesting that the legal assessment of Han’s alleged involvement in the martial law episode could change.
The special counsel team led by Cho Eun-suk, investigating Yoon’s alleged insurrection, requested on Aug. 24 that the court issue a detention warrant for Han over evidence-tampering concerns linked to his criminal charges.
But it decided to indict the former prime minister without detention on Aug. 29, two days after the Seoul court dismissed the detention warrant request.
The court determined that there was room for dispute regarding the legal assessment of key facts and a series of actions taken by Han. It also did not find a significant risk of flight or destruction of evidence considering the suspect’s career, age, residence, family ties, attendance at investigative procedures and attitude during questioning.
The first hearing, at which Han is required to appear, is set to take place at the Seoul Central District Court on Sept. 30.
