Kang Ui-goo, a former aide in the presidential office, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for drafting a post-hoc martial law declaration during the emergency martial law period.
The Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 12-3, presided over by judges Kim Min-a, Lee Seung-cheol, and Jo Jin-goo, upheld the initial ruling on August 24, sentencing Kang to the same term of 18 months for charges including forgery of official documents.
The court found that Kang created the cover document for the martial law declaration on December 6, 2024, three days after the emergency martial law was declared, and obtained signatures from former President Yoon Suk Yeol, former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. This was deemed a false official document intended to make it appear that the declaration was legally executed with prior approval.
The judges noted, "The defendant was aware that the dates of the signatures from Yoon Suk Yeol and others differed from the actual date of the document's creation."
Kang was also found guilty of unlawfully disposing of the post-hoc martial law declaration, consistent with the initial ruling.
However, the court did not find him guilty of the charge that he created the false declaration to make it seem as though it had undergone cabinet review.
The court also ruled that Kang's possession of the document in his office drawer did not undermine public trust in the document.
Regarding sentencing, the court stated, "The original sentence is not excessively harsh or lenient and was adequately considered during the initial ruling."
Kang was indicted without detention by the Special Investigation Team for Insurrection led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-seok in December of last year, and he was sentenced to prison in May of this year, leading to his detention in court.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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