Drawing from extensive evidence, the court highlighted Lee’s orchestration of orders directing law enforcement and emergency services to sever electricity and water to media houses vocal against the government. Special prosecutor Cho Yoon-sook sought 15 years, painting a picture of Lee as a key enabler in Yoon’s desperate bid to cling to power.

Detained since August, Lee faced compounded accusations of perjury in Yoon’s impeachment proceedings. Defiant to the end, he rejected claims of handling utility cutoff documents or issuing such commands during his emotional closing remarks. ‘It’s implausible that I plunged into a rebellion without prior knowledge, assuming a major role in minutes,’ Lee stated, visibly moved while expressing gratitude to his lawyers.

Echoing this accountability drive, Yoon’s spouse, Kim Keon Hee, was earlier convicted on January 28 to 20 months in jail for profiting from high-value Unification Church gifts tied to business gains. Her lighter sentence and acquittals on graver charges sparked debates over judicial consistency.

These verdicts illuminate the fragility of democratic norms in South Korea, where a single leader’s overreach nearly unraveled institutions. With ongoing probes into the martial law saga, Lee’s punishment reinforces the rule of law, deterring future authoritarian impulses and restoring faith in governance.

According to court documents, Han actively facilitated the martial law announcement during a cabinet session he convened. Far from resisting, he tacitly supported measures like silencing opposition media by severing utilities. Special prosecutor Cho Yoon-sook had pushed for 15 years, but the judges deemed Han’s betrayal of office far graver, including perjury and post-decree cover-ups.

The live-broadcast trial captivated the nation as Judge Lee Jin-kwan remanded Han, citing risks of destroying evidence. He lambasted Han for shirking his oath: ‘A prime minister must defend the constitution at all costs. Instead, he joined the insurrection, convinced of its victory.’

Details emerged of Han signing an altered decree after lawmakers revoked martial law, then feigning rejection while misleading the constitutional court. As the first Yoon cabinet official jailed over this, Han insists he was blindsided by the plot’s extent.

With Yoon’s death penalty trial wrapping up last week—verdict due February 19—Han’s sentence may bolster the case against him. This episode reveals deep fissures in South Korean politics, where a momentary authoritarian lurch met swift democratic pushback. The courts’ resolve ensures accountability, deterring future overreaches and reaffirming rule of law.