South Korea’s Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the seven-year prison sentence given to former President Yoon Suk Yeol for crimes related to the failed 2024 martial law declaration and the political chaos that followed.
“All appeals are dismissed,” a top court judge said in a televised ruling. He said there was no misunderstanding of any legal interpretation in the previous court decision.
Yoon’s legal team expressed “deep regret” over the decision and claimed that the Supreme Court reached its conclusion “without sufficient deliberation”.
A lawyer for Yoon said, “We will challenge the constitutionality of this decision through constitutional review procedures, including a constitutional complaint.”
Yoon’s legal troubles
In January, a lower court sentenced Yoon to five years in prison on charges including abuse of power and using presidential security agents to prevent his arrest. Later the appeal court increased this sentence to seven years.
The impeached former president is already in custody as he appeals a separate life sentence for leading the insurrection with his martial law declaration.
Yoon insisted that this was motivated by public interest. However, the court said it was a deliberate conspiracy resulting in “huge social costs”.
In another case, Yoon was sentenced to 30 years in prison for sending drones to North Korea.
Prosecutors had alleged it was a deliberate attempt to escalate tensions with Pyongyang and justify his failed attempt to declare martial law in December 2024.
He also faces five other trials.
What happened in December 2024?
Yoon Suk Yeol briefly declared martial law in December 2024, accusing the opposition of undermining the government, before lawmakers voted to overturn the order.
Scenes of armed soldiers on the assembly steps and around Parliament shocked the country and evoked memories of the military dictatorship that ruled from the mid-1960s to the late 1980s.
The move sparked South Korea’s biggest political crisis in decades, leading to mass protests, a standoff with police, Yun’s impeachment and months of political turmoil.
Edited by: Natalie Muller
Don’t let algorithms hide news. If you trust our team for reliable reporting, please take a moment to select us as your preferred source on Google click here And press the “Star” or “Favorite” button so you always see our verified news first.