Special counsel seeks five years for ex-prime minister over justice appointments

A special counsel team on Friday sought a five-year jail term for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo for failing to fulfill his constitutional duty by refusing to appoint Constitutional Court justices.

Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team made the request during the final hearing of Han's trial at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, central Seoul, on charges such as dereliction of duty.

The team claimed Han violated constitutional order by refusing to appoint the justices without sufficient legal grounds.

Han is accused of failing to appoint candidates for justices nominated by the National Assembly while serving as the acting president, in the aftermath of the martial law imposition by ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol in late 2024.

The former prime minister was initially sentenced to a 23-year prison term for playing a key role in an insurrection, which was later reduced by an appellate court to a 15-year prison sentence.

Yonhap