A South Korean court has sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison. He was accused of ordering drone flights over North Korea to justify his declaration of martial law. Yoon, aged 65, received this sentence along with former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, as ruled by the Seoul Central District Court.
Previously, Yoon faced a life sentence for leading an insurrection after declaring martial law in December 2024. The tensions with North Korea increased when the North accused South Korea of using drones to distribute propaganda leaflets over Pyongyang on three occasions in October 2024.
During his impeachment trial at South Korea’s Constitutional Court on February 11, 2025, Yoon, who had been impeached, continued to plead his case. Initially, then-Defense Minister Kim gave a vague denial of the drone allegations. The South Korean Defense Ministry remained non-committal on confirming or denying these claims. Despite heightened tensions, the drone incidents did not escalate into military conflicts.
Yoon faced accusations from prosecutors of attempting to engineer a crisis with North Korea, which they believed was part of a plot to seize authoritarian control by eliminating political adversaries.
Before declaring martial law, Yoon delivered a televised speech alleging that liberal lawmakers were sympathizing with North Korea. He argued his constitutional power to declare martial law was intended to highlight opposition obstruction. However, his martial law declaration lasted only about six hours before lawmakers overturned it amidst large-scale protests.
Arrested in July 2025, Yoon still faces numerous criminal charges. Both Yoon and the prosecutors, who sought the death penalty, have appealed the insurrection verdict.
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