Appellate Court Reduces Sentence of Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo Regarding 2024 Martial Law Decree
上訴法院就 2024 年戒嚴令減輕前總理韓德燧的刑期
Introduction
The Seoul High Court has modified the judicial penalty for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, reducing his prison term from 23 to 15 years for his involvement in the December 2024 martial law declaration.
首爾高等法院修改了前總理韓德燧的司法處罰，因其參與 2024 年 12 月的戒嚴宣言，將其監禁期限從 23 年減至 15 年。
Main Body
The legal proceedings center on the brief suspension of civilian governance initiated by former President Yoon Suk Yeol in December 2024, an action overturned by legislative vote within six hours. The appellate court affirmed that Han, as the second-highest official in the administration, abdicated his institutional responsibilities by facilitating the decree's appearance of legitimacy. Specifically, the court upheld convictions regarding the orchestration of a Cabinet meeting to endorse the decree, the procurement of signatures on related documentation, and discussions with the Interior Minister concerning the disruption of utility services to media organizations. Furthermore, the court sustained charges of perjury and the falsification of official records under the Presidential Records Act.
法律程序集中於前總統尹錫悅在 2024 年 12 月發起的短暫暫停民事統治，該行動在六小時內被立法投票推翻。上訴法院認定韓德燧作為政府第二高階官員，透過協助該法令營造合法外觀，而放棄了其制度上的責任。具體而言，法院維持了關於策劃內閣會議以支持法令、獲取相關文件簽名，以及與內務部長討論中斷媒體機構公共服務等項目的定罪。此外，法院維持了其違反《總統紀錄法》的偽證及偽造官方紀錄之指控。
Despite the gravity of these findings, the court implemented a sentence reduction based on two primary mitigating factors. First, the judiciary cited Han's five-decade tenure as a public servant and his various state commendations. Second, the court noted a lack of evidence suggesting that Han had engaged in prior conspiracy or exercised systematic leadership over the insurrectionary operations. Notably, the presiding judge observed that Han's historical exposure to authoritarian governance in the 1970s and 1980s should have informed a more robust opposition to the unconstitutional measures. This ruling follows a series of judicial actions against the Yoon administration, including the life sentence imposed upon Yoon for leading the insurrection and an increased corruption sentence for former First Lady Kim Keon Hee.
儘管這些發現相當嚴重，但法院基於兩個主要輕減因素實施了減刑。首先，司法機關引用了韓德燧擔任公務員長達五十年以及獲得多項國家表揚的事實。其次，法院指出缺乏證據顯示韓德燧曾參與事前陰謀，或對起義行動行使系統性領導。值得注意的是，主審法官觀察到韓德燧在 1970 年代和 1980 年代接觸過權威主義統治，應對這些違憲措施採取更強而有力的反對。此裁決是在一系列針對尹錫悅政府的司法行動之後做出的，包括尹錫悅因領導起義而被判處終身監禁，以及前第一夫人金建希的貪污刑期被增加。
Conclusion
Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo remains incarcerated under a revised 15-year sentence, with both the defense and prosecution retaining the right to appeal to the Supreme Court.
前總理韓德燧在修改後 15 年的刑期下繼續被監禁，辯方與控方均保留上訴至最高法院的權利。
Vocabulary Learning
The Architecture of 'Administrative Euphemism' and Judicial Precision
To transition from B2 to C2, a student must move beyond describing what happened and begin analyzing how language encodes power and culpability. This text is a masterclass in Nominalization and the 'Passive-Aggressive' Academic Style—a hallmark of high-level legal and journalistic discourse where agency is obscured to maintain an air of objective detachment.
⚖️ The Mechanism: Abstract Nominalization
Observe the shift from active verbs to heavy noun phrases. A B2 learner says: "He didn't do his job." A C2 writer utilizes:
"...abdicated his institutional responsibilities by facilitating the decree's appearance of legitimacy."
Breakdown of the C2 Sophistication:
- Abdicated: A high-register verb specifically tied to power/thrones, elevating the failure from a 'mistake' to a 'betrayal of duty'.
- Appearance of legitimacy: This is a crucial nuance. The court isn't saying the decree was legitimate, but that Han created the veneer of it. Using "appearance" instead of "look" transforms a visual observation into a conceptual critique.
🔍 Linguistic Nuance: The 'Mitigating' Lexicon
Note the juxtaposition of gravity vs. mitigating factors. In C2 English, we often employ a "weight-and-balance" rhetorical structure. The text establishes a heavy moral burden ("gravity of these findings") only to pivot using a precise legal trigger ("implemented a sentence reduction").
The 'Surgical' Verb Choice:
- Procurement of signatures instead of "getting signatures".
- Sustained charges instead of "kept the charges".
- Insurrectionary operations transforming the noun "insurrection" into an adjective to modify "operations", creating a technical, clinical tone.
🚀 C2 Application: The 'Moral Imperative' Clause
Look at the judge's observation: "...should have informed a more robust opposition."
This is a modal construction of regret/criticism in the past. Instead of saying "He should have fought harder," the writer uses "informed a more robust opposition."
Key Takeaway for the Student: To reach C2, stop using simple adjectives (strong, big, hard) and start using Attribute-Noun pairings that imply a systemic quality:
- Robust opposition (Strength + System)
- Systematic leadership (Order + Authority)
- Institutional responsibilities (Structure + Duty)