Court holds arrest warrant hearing for ex-PM Han
Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, center, arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in the capital, Aug. 27, to attend his arrest warrant hearing. Yonhap
A court held a hearing Wednesday on whether to issue a warrant to arrest former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo over his alleged role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched imposition of martial law.
The Seoul Central District Court began the hearing at 1:30 p.m. after special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team requested the warrant on charges of abetting the ringleader of an insurrection, falsifying and destroying official documents, perjury and other offenses.
Han arrived at the court shortly before the hearing and entered the building without answering reporters' questions.
Should the court issue the warrant, a decision that could come as early as later the same day, Han will become the third Cabinet member of the Yoon administration to be arrested in connection with the martial law attempt in December.
The others are former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min.
Han is accused of abetting Yoon's imposition of martial law by proposing a Cabinet meeting before the decree's declaration.
He is also suspected of drafting and later destroying a revised proclamation intended to enhance the legitimacy of the decree.
Moreover, he is accused of lying under oath at the Constitutional Court and the National Assembly that he was not aware Yoon had given him a copy of the martial law declaration until after the decree was lifted.