Special Prosecutor: "Official Letter from Security Service Interpreted as Granting Broadcast Permission"
During the trial of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who faces charges including aiding and abetting the ringleader of insurrection, the court allowed the live broadcast of evidentiary proceedings related to the presidential office's CCTV footage from the day martial law was declared last year.
Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who was indicted by the special prosecutor on charges of aiding and abetting insurrection, is attending his first trial held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-dong on the morning of September 30, 2025. Photo by Joint Press Corps
The 33rd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Jinkwan) announced on the 13th, during the second hearing of former Prime Minister Han’s case on charges of aiding and abetting the ringleader of insurrection, perjury, and falsification and use of official documents, that the evidentiary review of the CCTV footage would be broadcast live.
The CCTV footage reportedly shows former Prime Minister Han collecting documents, including the martial law declaration and a public statement, from the site of the cabinet meeting on the day martial law was declared. It is also said to contain scenes of Han counting on his fingers to confirm whether a quorum was present for the cabinet meeting, in coordination with former Defense Minister Kim Yonghyun.
Cho Eunseok, the special prosecutor for the insurrection case, stated, "As a result of receiving an official response from the Presidential Security Service regarding the declassification of military secrets in the CCTV footage, it can be interpreted as granting permission for live broadcasting," and requested the court to allow the live broadcast of the evidentiary review. The official letter from the Security Service confirmed that disclosure of secrets related to Han's trial is permitted, but disclosure beyond the scope of the trial is not allowed.
The special prosecutor’s team had initially requested the live broadcast of the trial excluding the CCTV footage classified as military secrets, but during the first hearing on September 30, announced that after completing the declassification process, the footage would be made public as part of the proceedings. Although the footage was classified as a level 3 military secret, the team argued that holding a closed evidentiary review in a trial of such high public interest would be problematic.
After completing the evidentiary review of the CCTV footage, the court plans to proceed with the examination of former Unification Minister Kim Youngho as a witness.
Former Prime Minister Han was indicted without detention in September on charges including aiding and abetting the ringleader of insurrection, perjury, falsification of official documents, damage to official records, violation of the Presidential Records Management Act, and use of false official documents.
The special prosecutor’s team believes that, as the Prime Minister-the "first national institution" and vice-chair of the cabinet-Han failed to prevent and instead abetted former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s illegal declaration of martial law last year. He is also accused of proposing the convening of a cabinet meeting before the declaration of martial law to give the process an appearance of procedural legitimacy, and of drafting and later discarding a revised proclamation to address legal flaws in the initial martial law declaration. The indictment further alleges that Han committed perjury before the Constitutional Court by claiming he was unaware of the martial law proclamation.
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