Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for orchestrating a drone incursion into North Korea, which prosecutors argued was intended to create a pretext for his failed martial law declaration in 2024. The Seoul Central District Court found him guilty of abuse of power and aiding the enemy, stating he conspired in the October 2024 drone operation from the outset, according to news reports.
Prosecutors' Arguments
Special prosecutors claimed in April that Yoon's effort to "fabricate wartime conditions" with the drones undermined state security. The operation heightened tensions with North Korea and led to the leak of classified information, including details about force capabilities, after the drones crashed, Yonhap reported.
Yoon's Denial
Yoon denied wrongdoing, with his lawyers asserting he neither ordered nor later approved the operation. They argued it was unrelated to martial law and instead a response to months of North Korean launches of balloons filled with rubbish across the border.
Background of the Incident
North Korea accused Seoul of flying drones over Pyongyang to drop propaganda leaflets three times in October 2024. South Korea's then-Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun issued a vague denial before the defense ministry said it could neither confirm nor deny the allegations. Tensions rose sharply but did not lead to military clashes.
Legal Proceedings
A spokesperson for the Seoul Central District Court confirmed the 30-year sentence to AFP. Yoon, already in custody, can appeal Friday's lower court ruling. This verdict adds to a series of judgments against the ousted conservative leader, whose martial law order plunged Asia's fourth-largest economy into its deepest political turmoil in decades.
Previous Conviction
Yoon was given life in prison in February for leading an insurrection to "paralyse" South Korea's National Assembly with his martial law declaration. He has appealed, insisting he declared martial law "solely for the sake of the nation."
Political Aftermath
Yoon was removed from office last year after the Constitutional Court upheld his impeachment, triggering a snap election won by liberal President Lee Jae Myung. Drone flights remain a flashpoint in tensions between the two Koreas, which are technically still at war.
Recent Developments
Lee expressed regret earlier this year after an investigation found government officials had sent drones into North Korea in January. Kim Jong-un's sister called Lee's statement "wise behavior," but hopes for rapprochement faded after the diplomatically isolated nation returned to calling the South its "most hostile" enemy.
