S.Korean court upholds jail sentence for ousted Yoon

South Korea’s Supreme Court upheld the seven-year prison sentence given to former president Yoon Suk-yeol on the grounds that he blocked authorities’ attempts to arrest him for the brief imposition of martial law in 2024.

The decision came after the Seoul High Court found Yoon guilty of additional charges in April and increased his prison sentence from five to seven years.

The Supreme Court said Thursday that there was no misunderstanding of legal interpretation in the previous court’s decision.

The Supreme Court upheld the appeals court’s finding that Yoon was also guilty of fabricating documents and failing to follow due process to impose martial law, which should have been discussed at the official cabinet meeting, and of spreading false information to foreign media outlets.

Following the decision, Yoon’s lawyers said they would seek a decision from the Constitutional Court following Thursday’s decision.

“We will challenge the constitutionality of this decision through constitutional review procedures, including a constitutional complaint,” said one of Yoon’s lawyers.

Prosecutors seeking a 10-year prison sentence in the case accused Yoon of abusing his power and harming the public.

Yoon, 65, was also sentenced to life in prison in February on charges of plotting an uprising related to the declaration of martial law.

Facing seven more cases, Yoon has been in prison since July 2025.