South Korea's Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a seven-year prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol for obstructing justice by blocking investigators from detaining him following his brief imposition of martial law in 2024. This marks the first case among several criminal trials related to the martial law declaration to reach the country's highest court.
The ruling follows an April decision by the Seoul High Court, which increased Yoon's sentence from five to seven years after finding him guilty of additional charges. The Supreme Court upheld findings that Yoon fabricated documents, spread false information to foreign media outlets, and failed to follow the required legal process of discussing the martial law declaration at a formal cabinet meeting. While prosecutors sought a 10-year term for abuse of power, the former president has insisted his actions were motivated by the public interest.
Yoon, 65, has been in detention since July 2025 and faces seven other trials. He was also sentenced to life in prison in February for masterminding an insurrection tied to the martial law declaration, a ruling he is currently appealing. In response to Thursday's decision, Yoon's lawyers announced they would seek a ruling from the Constitutional Court through a constitutional complaint and review procedures.