South Korean court cuts Han Duck-soo jail term to 15 years

A South Korean court has reduced former prime minister Han Duck-soo's prison sentence to 15 years, while keeping most of his convictions linked to the 2024 martial law declaration.

The lower court had previously sentenced Han to 23 years in January.

The latest ruling said the penalties were reduced after taking into account his more than 50 years as a public official before the martial law declaration.

The case is part of a wider legal fallout from the 2024 martial law episode, which has already led to a life sentence for former president Yoon Suk-yeol for insurrection.

Han's conviction remains in place, but the court has now lessened the punishment.

The ruling matters because it marks a significant change in sentence length while leaving the core findings against a former senior government figure intact.

It also keeps attention on the legal consequences of the martial law declaration.

Only limited details of the judgment have been confirmed in the supplied material.

It is not clear whether prosecutors or Han's legal team will seek any further appeal or comment on the revised sentence.

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