Supreme Court Upholds 18-Month Sentence for Former Executive Office Chief Kang Euigu over "Drafting a Post Hoc Martial Law Proclamation"

Supreme Court Upholds Lower Court Ruling

Yonhap News Agency

The Supreme Court has finalized a prison sentence for Kang Eui-gu, former chief of the Presidential Office Secretariat, who was indicted on charges of drafting a post hoc martial law proclamation following the Dec. 3 emergency martial law declaration.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court's First Division, with Justice Cheon Daeyeop presiding, upheld the lower court's sentence of 18 months in prison for Kang, who was indicted on charges including the preparation of a false official document.

Kang was indicted on charges of drafting a false martial law proclamation on Dec. 6, 2024, after emergency martial law had been lifted, making it appear that martial law had been declared in accordance with a document countersigned in advance by former Prime Minister Han and former Minister Kim and signed by former President Yoon.

Investigators found that the post hoc document was signed in the order of former Prime Minister Han, former Minister Kim and former President Yoon, and was kept in Kang's office. He was also charged with shredding the document after former Prime Minister Han told him, as an investigation into insurrection allegations began in earnest, "If it becomes known that the document was made afterward, it could spark another controversy, so let's act as if I never signed it."

The first trial found most of the charges against Kang proven, sentenced him to 18 months in prison and detained him in court. Both the special counsel and Kang appealed, but the second trial reached the same conclusion.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.