A South Korean court is scheduled to announce its decision this week regarding former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s alleged involvement in ordering drone incursions into Pyongyang to justify declaring martial law. The Seoul Central District Court will conduct a hearing on Friday to address charges against Yoon, which include accusations of aiding the enemy and misusing authority. Yoon stands accused of directing the South Korean military to fly drones over Pyongyang in October 2024, leading to the declaration of martial law on December 3 of the same year.
Yoon faced a demand for a 30-year prison sentence from a special counsel team, with allegations of abuse of power and rights obstruction linked to messages used to support his martial law declaration. During a questioning session by the special counsel team, Yoon, who denied the primary accusations, made his first appearance before the team led by special counsel Kwon Chang-young in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
In addition to Yoon, the court is anticipated to deliver a verdict on former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun, Yeo In-hyung, former head of the Defence Counterintelligence Command, and Maj. Gen. Kim Yong-dae, former chief of the Drone Operations Command. The former defence minister, allegedly in charge of the drone operation, faces charges of authority abuse and military installations destruction. The special counsel team asserted that the drone infiltration heightened military tensions between North and South Korea, leading to the exposure of military secrets. Yoon had previously received a life sentence for his failed attempt at imposing martial law in a court ruling earlier this year.
