South Korea’s former President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to 30 years in prison in connection with a controversial drone infiltration case. The Seoul Central District Court found him guilty of abuse of power and aiding the enemy, ruling that the drone operations ordered in 2024 were intended to escalate tensions with North Korea and justify his declaration of martial law later that year.
The court stated that the drone missions were not legitimate military responses but deliberate provocations, undermining public trust and inadvertently strengthening North Korea’s readiness. Alongside Yoon, former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun also received a 30-year sentence, while other senior military officials were handed varying terms of imprisonment.
Yoon’s legal team argued that the drone flights were a response to North Korea’s balloon launches carrying waste into South Korea, but the court rejected this defence. His lawyers have already filed an appeal against the ruling. This latest conviction adds to Yoon’s earlier life sentence for leading an insurrection linked to his failed martial law declaration in December 2024.
The verdict cements Yoon’s downfall as one of South Korea’s most controversial leaders, highlighting the judiciary’s firm stance against abuse of power and unlawful military actions.
