South Korea's top court on Thursday confirmed a nine-year prison term for a former leftist lawmaker for instigating an armed rebellion against the Seoul government in the event of an inter-Korean war.
 

Lee Seok-ki, affiliated with the now-dissolved minor opposition Unified Progressive Party (UPP), was indicted on charges of conspiring with members of a clandestine organization to topple the government if a war with North Korea broke out.

Ending a 17-month legal battle, the Supreme Court, acquitted the 54-year-old former legislator of charges that he had plotted the rebellion, but found him guilty of instigating the members to stage the rebellion.

In December, the Constitutional Court ordered the dissolution of the UPP, leading to the party's immediate demise. All five sitting lawmakers of the party, including Lee, also lost their parliamentary seats. (Yonhap)