A Seoul court has sentenced former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison today, after finding him guilty of ordering drone incursions into North Korea to escalate tensions and justify his December 2024 martial law declaration.
The Seoul Central District Court convicted the jailed former president on charges of benefiting the enemy and abuse of power. Former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun also received a 30-year sentence for his role in the operation.
The court ruled that Yoon authorised the drone missions in October 2024 to provoke North Korea and create a pretext for imposing martial law.
Former Defence Counter intelligence Command chief Yeo In-hyung was also sentenced to 15 years in prison, while former Drone Operations Command chief Kim Yong-dae received a three-year prison term suspended for five years.