Appeals Court Increases Sentence for Former NIS Chief to 2.5 Years

An appeals court has increased the prison sentence for former National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Cho Tae-yong to two and a half years. According to The Korea Times, the Seoul High Court found Cho guilty of engaging in political activities by making false statements related to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration in December 2024.

The court's decision added a year to Cho's original sentence of 18 months in prison, which was handed down by a lower court. The lower court had convicted Cho of perjury but cleared him of most other charges. The appellate court also acquitted him of a dereliction of duty charge, related to allegedly failing to inform the National Assembly of Yoon's plan to arrest politicians under martial law.

The charges against Cho stem from the National Intelligence Service Act, which bans the agency's personnel from engaging in political activities. KBS World Radio reported that the Seoul High Court made the decision on Wednesday, increasing Cho's prison sentence.

Brief written by urgent.news from KBS World Radio, The Korea Times — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.