The part played by the ex-prime minister in the implementation of martial law?
In August 2025, former South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo visited the special counsel’s office in Seocho District, southern Seoul, multiple times to be questioned about his alleged involvement in the failed attempt by former President Yoon Suk Yeol to impose martial law on December 3, 2024.
The special counsel team suspects Han of aiding Yoon’s declaration of martial law, participating in drafting and destroying a revised martial law decree, and committing perjury during earlier testimony in February 2025. Surveillance footage showed Han reviewing martial law documents he initially claimed to be unaware of, a contradiction that prosecutors have highlighted.
Han was involved in Cabinet meetings discussing the decree before it was announced and after it was lifted, and admitted Yoon personally handed him the martial law documents. Prosecutors filed for an arrest warrant accusing Han of aiding insurrection, falsifying and destroying official documents, violating the Presidential Records Act, and perjury.
The investigation into Han is part of a high-profile probe into Yoon and his top aides, including Han, over the controversial and ultimately unsuccessful effort to impose emergency martial law, which raised serious legal and constitutional concerns. The controversy marks a historic moment in South Korea’s democracy, with both Yoon and Han facing legal consequences for their roles in the martial law episode.
In a separate development, investigators from the special counsel team carried out a search at Han’s residence in Jongno District, central Seoul, on July 24. Meanwhile, on an unspecified date, a military helicopter flew to the National Assembly in western Seoul, though the connection, if any, to the ongoing investigation is not clear.
It is worth noting that the article was translated from Korean to English using AI tools and was later edited by a native English-speaking editor.
[1] "Special Counsel Investigates Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo Over Martial Law Attempt" (Yonhap News, Aug. 20, 2025) [2] "Former South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo Faces Arrest Warrant over Martial Law Allegations" (Reuters, Aug. 25, 2025) [3] "Han Duck-soo Visits Special Counsel Office over Martial Law Allegations" (Korea JoongAng Daily, Aug. 20, 2025) [4] "Prosecutors Seek Arrest Warrant for Former South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo" (The New York Times, Aug. 25, 2025) [5] "South Korea's Former President Yoon Suk Yeol Faces Controversy over Martial Law Attempt" (BBC News, Dec. 4, 2024)
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