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

A South Korean appeals court increased the sentence of jailed former president Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday to seven years for obstructing justice, up from five years.

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.

He added in his verdict that the motives for and consequences of Yoon's actions were "highly reprehensible".

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

"(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.

He 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 late 2024.