Seoul: The Supreme Court has confirmed a two-year prison sentence for retired Army Major General Noh Sang-won, who faced charges related to the collection of personal information of military intelligence agents amid former President Yoon Suk Yeol's unsuccessful attempt to implement martial law.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the ruling marks the first decision from the top court regarding the martial law declaration that occurred in December 2024. The 64-year-old former commander of the Defense Intelligence Command was indicted for violating the personal information protection law by gathering data on intelligence agents to establish an electoral fraud investigation team under Yoon's martial law initiative.

Noh was also found guilty of accepting 20 million won (approximately US$13,500) in cash and 6 million won worth of gift certificates from two military officers in return for assisting in their promotions. The Supreme Court upheld his conviction on both charges, resulting in a two-year prison sentence and the forfeiture of 24.9 million won, aligning with the decisions of the district and appellate courts.

On the same day, a special counsel team sought a five-year prison sentence for former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. Kim is accused of providing Noh with a list of around 40 names between October and November 2024. This request was made during the concluding hearing of Kim's initial trial on charges of leaking military secrets and infringing upon personal information protection laws.

In a separate trial, Noh also faced charges for his pivotal role in the attempted martial law insurrection. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison, with an appellate trial currently in progress.