South Korea special prosecutors seek to detain former PM Han over martial law crisis

South Korean acting President Han Duck-soo speaks during a briefing at the Government Complex in Seoul
FILE PHOTO: South Korean acting President Han Duck-soo speaks during a briefing at the Government Complex in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, March 24, 2025. Ahn Young-joon/Pool via REUTERS/ File Photo
Source: Pool

South Korea special prosecutors investigating the country's martial law crisis in December filed a court request to detain former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, a prosecution spokesperson said on Sunday.

The prosecution accused Han of abetting former President Yoon Suk Yeol in declaring martial law and committing perjury, Park Ji-young, the spokesperson, told reporters.

Yoon is already facing a criminal trial on insurrection charges. In April, the conservative leader was removed from office over his botched bid to impose martial law, which plunged the country into political turmoil.

Han, who was prime minister under Yoon, became acting president after Yoon was impeached. He then resigned from the post to run in a June election to become the next president, but ended his bid following rifts among conservatives.

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Reuters could not immediately reach Han for comment.

In recent weeks, prosecutors have been questioning Han in relation to the martial law case, but Han has not responded to questions from reporters.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.