Seoul: A South Korean appeals court has sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to seven years in prison for obstructing investigators who tried to arrest him during the political crisis that followed his brief martial law declaration in 2024.

The Seoul High Court said Yoon abused his authority and interfered with law enforcement officers carrying out a lawful arrest warrant. The court found that his security team blocked investigators from entering his residence and prevented them from carrying out their duties.

The ruling increases an earlier sentence of five years handed down by a lower court, showing a tougher stance by the judiciary as it continues to deal with the fallout from the crisis.

The case is linked to Yoon’s controversial decision to declare martial law in December 2024, a move that lasted only a few hours but triggered nationwide shock and political unrest. Authorities later launched multiple investigations into the actions taken during that period.

This is not the only legal trouble facing the former president. Yoon has already received a life sentence in a separate case related to leading an insurrection connected to the same events. Prosecutors are also pursuing additional charges in other cases involving national security and abuse of power.

Several officials who served under his administration have also been investigated or jailed, as courts continue to examine the events surrounding the martial law episode.

In a related development, former first lady Kim Keon Hee has been sentenced to four years in prison in a separate case involving corruption and stock manipulation.

The latest ruling adds to a growing list of convictions tied to one of the most serious political crises in South Korea’s recent history, as the country’s legal system continues its efforts to ensure accountability.