A Seoul court on Friday sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison for ordering drone infiltrations into North Korea to heighten tensions as a pretext for his December 2024 martial law declaration.
The Seoul Central District Court on June 12 convicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of benefiting the enemy and abuse of power, sentencing him to 30 years in prison. The court found that Yoon ordered the October 2024 drone operation to provoke Pyongyang and use the resulting tensions as a pretext for his Dec. 3 martial law declaration.
Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun also received 30 years, former Defense Counterintelligence Command head Yeo In-hyung was sentenced to 15 years, and former Drone Operations Command chief Kim Yong-dae received a three-year suspended sentence. The court stated the defendants used psychological warfare to incite North Korea and create conditions for martial law.
Yoon's legal team appealed the ruling hours later, criticizing it as faulty and aligned with North Korea's position. Yoon, already in custody, faces multiple trials over his martial law bid and is appealing a February life sentence for insurrection.
