South Korean Court Increases Former President Yoons Prison Sentence in Obstruction Case

South Korea’s former impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, arrives at a court in Seoul on July 9, 2025. Kim Hong-Ji/AFP via Getty ImagesA South Korean appeals court on April 29 increased the prison sentence from five to seven years for former conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol in the obstruction of justice case linked to his December 2024 martial law declaration.On Jan. 16, Seoul Central District Court found Yoon guilty of mobilizing the presidential security service to prevent authorities from detaining him, fabricating official documents, and failing to follow the legal process required for declaring martial law. He was cleared of some of the other charges and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.