Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for orchestrating a drone incursion into North Korea in October 2024. The Seoul Central District Court found him guilty of abuse of power and aiding the enemy, ruling that he conspired in the operation from the outset. Special prosecutors argued that Yoon aimed to fabricate wartime conditions to justify his failed martial law declaration in December 2024.
Court ruling and charges
The court spokesperson confirmed the sentence to AFP, with Yonhap news agency also reporting the decision. Yoon, already in custody for a separate insurrection conviction, can appeal Friday's lower court ruling. Prosecutors contended that the drone mission heightened tensions with North Korea and led to the leak of classified military information after the drones crashed.
Yoon's defense and denial
Yoon denied any wrongdoing, with his lawyers stating he neither ordered nor approved the operation. They argued the drone flights were a response to North Korean balloon launches filled with rubbish, not related to martial law. However, the court rejected this, citing evidence of Yoon's involvement.
Political turmoil and additional sentence
Friday's ruling adds to Yoon's legal woes. In February, he received a life sentence for leading an insurrection by declaring martial law in December 2024, which paralyzed the National Assembly and plunged South Korea into political crisis. Yoon has appealed that conviction, insisting his actions were for the nation's sake. He was removed from office last year after the Constitutional Court upheld his impeachment, leading to a snap election won by liberal President Lee Jae Myung.
Inter-Korean tensions
Drone flights remain a flashpoint between the two Koreas, still technically at war. Lee expressed regret earlier this year after an investigation revealed government officials had sent drones into North Korea in January. Kim Jong-un's sister called Lee's statement wise, but hopes for rapprochement faded as North Korea returned to labeling the South its most hostile enemy.
