(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with details)

SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Yonhap) -- An appeals court on Wednesday increased former National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Cho Tae-yong's sentence to 2 1/2 years in prison on charges linked to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's 2024 martial law bid.

The Seoul High Court handed down the sentence after finding Cho guilty of engaging in political activities by making false statements that Yoon had not ordered the arrest of politicians, days after his short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024.

Under the National Intelligence Service Act, the agency's personnel are banned from engaging in political activities.

A lower court earlier sentenced Cho to 18 months in prison after convicting him of perjury but clearing him of most other charges, including dereliction of duty for allegedly failing to immediately inform the National Assembly of Yoon's plan to arrest politicians under martial law.

The appellate court also acquitted him of the dereliction of duty charge, ruling that it was difficult to determine whether Cho was required to inform the National Assembly once he learned of the plan.

"The defendant directly participated in political debate by delivering false statements that no such order had been issued despite having received a report of an arrest order on the day of the martial law declaration," the court said.

"These acts are in direct contravention of laws seeking to strengthen the NIS' political neutrality and run counter to the public's expectations for the agency to become a trusted intelligence agency."

The appellate ruling fell short of special counsel Cho Eun-suk's request for a seven-year prison term.

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr

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