Sawt Falasteen - South Korean court hikes ex-president's sentence for obstructing justice

A lower court had handed Yoon the initial sentence in January after he was found to have used presidential security agents to block his own arrest.

Both Yoon and the prosecution lodged appeals -- he argued that the arrest warrants against him were based on an "unlawful investigation", while special prosecutors said his punishment should be 10 years given his "egregious" crimes.

"The court sentences the defendant to seven years in prison," a judge at the Seoul High Court said on Wednesday, calling Yoon's actions "highly reprehensible".

"The defendant not only sought to obstruct the lawful execution of warrants by prosecutors and others," he said in his verdict.

"(He) also issued unlawful instructions to public officials of the presidential security service, who are national civil servants, attempting to use them as if they were private guards for his personal protection."

Yoon, who appeared in court wearing a black suit and white shirt, showed little emotion as he listened to the verdict.

The appeals court also upheld his conviction for abuse of power for excluding cabinet members from a meeting to plan the imposition of martial law.

It overturned his acquittal by a lower court of abuse of power for ordering his defence of the martial law declaration to be distributed to foreign media.

And it upheld the lower court's conclusion that Yoon had prepared falsified documents, but had not actually used them.

- Life sentence -

Yoon is also serving a life sentence for the much more serious crime of leading an insurrection, a result of his failed attempt to impose martial law in 2024.

In December that year, he made a shock late-night national televised address, raising the spectre of North Korean influence and "anti-state forces" to declare the suspension of civilian rule.

But martial law lasted only about six hours as lawmakers raced to the assembly building and voted it down in an emergency session.

In subsequent months, Yoon was impeached, removed from power and put on trial over a litany of allegations connected to his proclamation.

He has also appealed against his insurrection conviction, saying he acted "solely for the sake of the nation".

- Legal headaches -

In addition, Yoon faces a separate trial on charges of aiding the enemy over allegations that he sent military drones into North Korea earlier in 2024.

Special prosecutors are seeking a 30-year sentence in that case, arguing that Yoon ordered the incursion to provoke a response from Pyongyang that would strengthen his pretext for declaring martial law.

Yoon's legal team have denied the charge, saying he gave "no prior order or subsequent approval" for the operation cited by prosecutors.

Yoon's wife, former first lady Kim Keon Hee, is also languishing in prison for unrelated corruption crimes.

Initially sentenced in January to 20 months for bribery, her penalty was increased to four years on Tuesday after an appeals court reversed her acquittal for stock price manipulation.

Lawyers for Kim told AFP they would appeal the verdict to the Supreme Court.

E.Qaddoumi--SF-PST