Ex-Supreme Court chief justice sentenced to suspended prison term over power abuse

▲ Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae arrives at the Seoul High Court in the capital on Jan. 30, 2026, to attend his sentencing hearing over charges of power abuse. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

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Ex-Supreme Court chief justice sentenced to suspended prison term over power abuse

SEOUL, Jan. 30 (Yonhap) -- An appellate court on Friday sentenced former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae to six months in prison, suspended for one year, for abusing his power through wrongful interference in trials.

The Seoul High Court handed down the sentence, reversing a lower court ruling that acquitted Yang of all 47 charges related to his alleged abuse of judiciary power.

Yang, who headed the top court from 2011-17, was accused by prosecutors of having used trials as bargaining chips in dealings with the then administration of President Park Geun-hye.

The aim was to promote his bid to establish a court of appeals, according to prosecutors, who demanded a seven-year prison term for the former chief justice.

Park Byong-dae and Ko Young-han, two other former Supreme Court justices, were indicted in the same case and also acquitted by the lower court.

The appellate court on Friday sentenced Park to a six-month prison term, suspended for a year, while upholding Ko's acquittal.

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