{
  "id": 2952009,
  "title": "Appeals court upholds 18-month prison term for ex-presidential aide over martial law document",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/appeals-court-upholds-18-month-prison-term-for-ex-presidential-aide",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-24T05:42:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/law-crime/20260824/appeals-court-upholds-18-month-prison-term-for-ex-presidential-aide-over-martial-law-document"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Seoul High Court recently confirmed an 18-month prison sentence for a former presidential secretary named Kang Eui-gu. The court affirmed the lower court's decision that Kang was guilty of drafting a false official document, specifically the cover page of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law proclamation. This ruling came three days after Yoon's declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024. Kang had orchestrated the creation of the document and collected signatures from Yoon, then Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, and then Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. This move was intended to lend an air of procedural legitimacy to Yoon's proclamation. The defendant was well aware that the dates on the signatures did not match the actual date the document was drafted. In December, a special counsel team indicted Kang on these charges. Following the lower court's ruling in May, Kang was immediately arrested and incarcerated.",
  "summary": "An appellate court on Monday upheld an 18-month prison term for a former presidential secretary for drafting a false document linked to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid. The Seoul High Court upheld the lower court's ruling that found Kang Eui-gu guilty on charges of creating a false official document by drafting a cover of Yoon's martial law proclamation, three days after…",
  "key_points": [
    "Seoul High Court upholds 18-month prison sentence for Kang Eui-gu.",
    "Former presidential aide drafted false martial law proclamation cover page.",
    "Kang orchestrated document with Yoon, Han, and Kim's signatures."
  ],
  "editors_take": "This ruling cements the legal accountability of former presidential aides for actions taken to support a questionable exercise of executive power.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "Appeals court upholds 18-month prison term for ex-presidential aide over martial law document",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/appeals-court-upholds-18-month-prison-term-for-ex-presidential-aide-2953756",
        "published": "2026-08-24T05:29:38.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Appeals court upholds 18-month prison term for ex-presidential aide over martial law document",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/appeals-court-upholds-18-month-prison-term-for-ex-presidential-aide-2953259",
        "published": "2026-08-24T05:52:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}