South Korea court ups ex-President Yoon’s sentence to seven years

On April 29, an appeals court increased former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s prison sentence to seven years from five in an obstruction of justice case linked to his failed 2024 martial law attempt.

The Seoul High Court delivered the ruling in a live broadcast, finding Yoon guilty of obstructing investigators who sought to detain him last year over the short-lived imposition of martial law, Caliber.Az reports via South Korean media.

Special counsel Cho Eun-suk had sought a 10-year sentence, arguing the conduct represented a serious abuse of power. Yoon was previously sentenced to five years by a lower court.

The ruling marks a further escalation in legal proceedings against the former president, who was removed from office following the political crisis.

Yoon, a former top prosecutor who served as South Korea’s 13th president from 2022, declared martial law on the night of December 3, 2024, claiming it was necessary to counter “anti-state forces.” He ordered troops to block the National Assembly and arrest politicians.

The dramatic move collapsed within six hours as lawmakers from both parties forced their way into the assembly and voted overwhelmingly to lift the decree.

The National Assembly impeached Yoon on December 14, 2024. In April 2025, the Constitutional Court unanimously upheld the impeachment, removing him from office. A snap presidential election in June 2025 was won by opposition leader Lee Jae-myung.

Yoon, 65, was arrested in 2025 and faced serious criminal charges, including leading an insurrection. On February 19, 2026, the Seoul Central District Court convicted him of masterminding the insurrection and sentenced him to life imprisonment with hard labor. 

The court described Yoon as the “chief insurrectionist” but opted for life instead of the death penalty requested by prosecutors, citing the failed and poorly planned nature of the attempt.

By Aghakazim Guliyev