A South Korean appeals court on Wednesday increased former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s sentence in a justice obstruction case from five years to seven. The court sustained the earlier convictions and reversed some acquittals, tying the offenses to his brief 2024 declaration of martial law.
A lower court in January had sentenced Yoon to five years for abuse of power, finding he used presidential security agents to try to block his arrest and on related charges. In a separate trial over his abrupt late‑night December 2024 declaration of martial law, Yoon was earlier given a life sentence for leading an insurrection.
Prosecutors had sought a 10‑year term in the obstruction case. The Seoul High Court said Yoon’s efforts to prevent authorities from executing an arrest warrant by force are unacceptable in a society governed by law and order. Yoon retains the right to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The January ruling found Yoon guilty of multiple offenses, including:
– Failing to follow due process before declaring martial law
– Fabricating official documents tied to that declaration
– Destroying potential evidence by wiping official phone data
– Obstructing authorities from carrying out an arrest warrant
Yoon’s life sentence relates to his televised address in December 2024 in which he announced the suspension of civilian rule and imposed martial law. The measure lasted about six hours before lawmakers convened an emergency session and voted it down. Yoon said he acted to restore democratic order amid what he described as a siege by opposition and “anti‑state” forces; the move followed his party’s earlier loss of a parliamentary majority.
Separately, Yoon’s wife, former first lady Kim Keon Hee, received an increased jail sentence this week on unrelated corruption charges. Yoon faces eight trials connected to his time in office and denies wrongdoing. Edited by: Alex Berry