A Seoul court has sentenced former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison for directing drone infiltrations into North Korea. The court found him guilty of attempting to escalate cross-border tensions and laying the groundwork for declaring martial law in December 2024. Yoon was convicted of benefiting the enemy and abusing power, aligning with the special counsel’s sentencing recommendation.
Yoon had orchestrated the drone operation in October 2024 to provoke North Korea and justify declaring martial law on December 3. The court also handed a 30-year prison term to South Korea’s former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun for his involvement in these activities. Yeo In-hyung, the former head of the Defence Counterintelligence Command, received a 15-year sentence, while Kim Yong-dae, the former chief of the Drone Operations Command, was given a three-year suspended sentence.
The court stated that the defendants aimed to incite North Korea through psychological warfare to create a pretext for armed provocation or a national security crisis. This move was deemed a betrayal of the public’s trust in using military force for legitimate purposes. Yoon’s legal team argued that the drone deployment was a legitimate military response to North Korea’s actions in 2024, but the court ruled that it compromised South Korea’s security interests.
Friday’s ruling is the latest legal setback for Yoon, who is already serving a life sentence for his failed martial law declaration. He remains in custody and faces additional trials related to this incident.
