The final ruling has been handed down in the former martial law case: Yoon Suk Yeol sentenced to seven years in prison | WPN World People News

South Korea's judiciary issued its final verdict on July 9 in one of the criminal cases stemming from former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law. The Supreme Court dismissed appeals filed by both the defense and the special prosecutor, upholding the seven-year prison sentence imposed by the appellate court. The case originated from Yoon's abrupt declaration of martial law nearly two years ago, which triggered nationwide unrest. After more than 500 days of legal proceedings, the Supreme Court has delivered its first final criminal judgment concerning Yoon's personal criminal liability.

According to the ruling, Yoon was found to have used presidential security personnel to obstruct law enforcement officers attempting to arrest him during the constitutional crisis. The court also found that he failed to convene all cabinet ministers for the legally required policy deliberations before issuing the martial law decree, thereby depriving multiple officials of their collective decision-making authority. In addition, Yoon was convicted of falsifying government documents, issuing misleading statements to the foreign press to downplay the severity of the crisis, and ordering subordinates to destroy communication records stored on military communication devices.

The sentence changed several times during the judicial process. Earlier this year, the district court convicted Yoon on multiple charges and sentenced him to five years in prison. The High Court later increased the sentence to seven years. Although the special prosecution team sought a heavier sentence of ten years, and Yoon's legal team argued that the evidence seizure procedures violated due process and the rule of law, the Supreme Court ultimately concluded that the lower courts had made no errors in either their factual findings or their application of the law. Yoon's legal team expressed deep regret over the decision and stated that they intend to seek constitutional review as their final legal remedy.

In addition to this case involving obstruction of justice and abuse of power, Yoon remains imprisoned over separate charges related to his alleged leadership role in the constitutional insurrection. In that case, he was previously sentenced to life imprisonment by the trial court, and the appeal is still pending. He has also received a 30-year prison sentence in another case over allegations that, on the eve of the martial law declaration, he deliberately dispatched unmanned aerial vehicles toward North Korea in an attempt to provoke a regional crisis.

Following opposition leader Lee Jae-myung's victory in last year's presidential election and assumption of office, the political crisis that drew international attention continues to unfold, with other senior officials implicated in the affair also facing the final stages of judicial review.