Special prosecutor seeks 5-year sentence for former PM Han Duck-soo in constitutional judge appointment case

A special prosecutor has requested a five-year prison sentence for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is on trial for dereliction of duty and abuse of power. The charges stem from his failure to appoint three constitutional judge candidates approved by the National Assembly during his tenure as acting president following the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol.

The prosecution argued that Han, who served as acting president from December 14, 2024, to April 2025, did not appoint the candidates, Ma Eun-hyeok, Jeong Gye-seon, and Cho Han-chang, citing the need for bipartisan consensus. This inaction led to his indictment for dereliction of duty.

Additionally, the special prosecutor sought four-year prison sentences for former presidential secretary Jeong Jin-seok and former senior secretary for civil affairs Kim Ju-hyeon for abuse of power. They are accused of hastily nominating two other constitutional judge candidates, Lee Wan-gyu and Ham Sang-hoon, without proper vetting procedures. These two candidates' nominations were later withdrawn after Lee Jae-myung became president in June 2025.

The trial also involves former Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, who succeeded Han as acting president. Choi faces charges of dereliction of duty for not appointing candidate Ma Eun-hyeok while appointing the other two. His trial is currently halted pending a Supreme Court review of a recusal motion against the presiding judge, who Choi's side claims is biased. Choi also faces charges of perjury in Han's trial.