Ex-NIS Chief Gets 2.5 Years on Appeal for Perjury, Court Cites 'Political Motive' to Block Yoon's Impeachment

Former National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Cho Tae-yong has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison, along with a two-and-a-half-year suspension of qualifications, following an appeals court ruling that overturned some of his acquittals from the first trial. The court found Cho guilty of perjury for falsely testifying in parliamentary and Constitutional Court hearings that he had not received a report about then-President Yoon Suk-yeol's alleged order to arrest politicians.

The appeals court, presided over by Judge Yoon Sung-sik, differed from the initial ruling by concluding that Cho was aware of the alleged directive. This was based on testimony from former NIS First Deputy Director Hong Jang-won, who stated he had reported Yoon's order to support the counter-intelligence agency in arresting key politicians like Lee Jae-myung and Han Dong-hoon to Cho.

In addition to the perjury charges related to the parliamentary and impeachment hearings, the court also found Cho guilty of violating the NIS Act for interviews and press conferences he held in December 2024. These actions, occurring just before a parliamentary vote on Yoon's impeachment, were deemed to have a political motive. "The interview took place just before the vote on President Yoon's impeachment, and whether Han Dong-hoon was to be arrested was a key issue that could cause some lawmakers to change their vote," the court stated. "There was a political motive and purpose to prevent the impeachment."

The appeals court's decision significantly increases Cho's prison sentence from the first trial, reflecting the gravity with which the court viewed his actions and their potential impact on the political landscape.

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The interview took place just before the vote on President Yoon's impeachment, and whether Han Dong-hoon was to be arrested was a key issue that could cause some lawmakers to change their vote. There was a political motive and purpose to prevent the impeachment.