South Korea Court upholds 7-year term for ex-President Yoon

South Korea's Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a seven-year prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol for obstructing justice and abusing power in connection with his failed 2024 declaration of martial law. The ruling finalizes the first of several criminal cases against the former leader to reach the nation's highest court.

The court dismissed appeals from both Yoon and prosecutors, leaving in place an April decision by the Seoul High Court. The Supreme Court stated that the lower court's judgment contained no errors in its evaluation of evidence or application of legal principles. Yoon, who has been in custody since July 2025, did not attend the hearing, which was broadcast live. He reportedly watched the verdict on a cellphone while attending a separate appellate trial on more serious insurrection charges.

The charges stem from events surrounding Yoon's surprise declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024, which lasted only hours before lawmakers repealed it. The Supreme Court upheld convictions for obstructing the execution of an arrest warrant in January 2025, when presidential security forces blocked investigators from detaining him at the presidential...