An appellate court has upheld a lower court’s conviction of former Environment Minister Kim Eun-kyung indicted for blacklisting officials appointed during the previous Park Geun-hye administration. 

The Seoul High Court on Friday sentenced Kim to two years in prison on charges of power abuse and obstruction of the exercise of right. She had been given two and a half years behind bars by the Seoul Central District Court in February. 

Former presidential secretary for balanced human resources Shin Mi-sook, who received one and a half years in prison suspended for three years at the lower court, was also commuted to one-year imprisonment suspended for three years. 

The ex-officials were accused of forcing executives at Environment Ministry-affiliated agencies appointed by the previous government to step down so their posts could be filled with those favorably viewed by the top office or the ministry.