Seoul: A Seoul court has rejected the arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo concerning his alleged involvement in the failed imposition of martial law by former President Yoon Suk Yeol. The decision was made on Wednesday by the Seoul Central District Court, which highlighted the existence of legal disputes regarding key facts and the interpretation of Han's actions.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the warrant was sought by a special counsel team led by Cho Eun-suk. Han faces several charges, including abetting the ringleader of an insurrection, falsifying and destroying official documents, and perjury. Despite the serious nature of these accusations, the court found that there is sufficient room for legal debate, which contributed to the denial of the arrest warrant.
On the day of the hearing, Han arrived at the court but refrained from engaging with reporters' inquiries. He is accused of facilitating Yoon's martial law plans by organizing a Cabinet meeting before the decree was announced. Furthermore, Han allegedly drafted and later destroyed a revised proclamation to bolster the decree's legitimacy.
Additionally, Han is accused of providing false testimony under oath at the Constitutional Court and the National Assembly, claiming ignorance of the martial law declaration copy given to him by Yoon until after the decree was rescinded. The investigation has also led to the arrest of two other former Cabinet members, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, in connection with the martial law attempt last December.