Ex-NIS chief gets 2.5 years in prison on appeal for perjury over martial law claims

A South Korean appeals court has increased the prison sentence for Cho Tae-yong, former head of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), to two years and six months. Cho was found guilty of perjury and interfering with political affairs in relation to false statements made concerning the "12.3 emergency martial law" incident.

The Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 1 overturned key acquittals from the initial trial, ruling Cho guilty of perjury and evidence tampering. The court stated that Cho had received a report from former NIS Deputy Director Hong Jang-won regarding instructions from then-President Yoon Suk-yeol to arrest a politician. Despite this, Cho repeatedly made false statements externally, denying such a report existed.

This conduct, the court found, improperly influenced the political decision-making process and created a risk of obstructing the truth in Yoon Suk-yeol's criminal case and impeachment trial. The first trial had deemed it difficult to conclude that Cho recognized the report about the politician's arrest as a directive from then-President Yoon.

However, the appellate court disagreed, asserting that Cho's actions constituted a deliberate obstruction of justice. The ruling highlights the seriousness with which the judiciary views attempts to manipulate information and interfere with political and legal processes, particularly concerning sensitive national security and political events.

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The defendant (Cho Tae-yong) repeatedly conveyed false information externally as if no such fact existed, despite receiving a report from former NIS Deputy Director Hong Jang-won concerning instructions to arrest Yoon Suk-yeol (former president). This improperly influenced the political decision-making process and created a risk of obstructing the truth in Yoon Suk-yeol's criminal case and impeachment trial.