Ex-President Yoon Gets 30 Years for Orchestrating North Korea Drone Attack

A South Korean court has sentenced former President Yoon Suk-yeol to 30 years in prison on charges of treason and abuse of power. The court found Yoon guilty of orchestrating a drone operation targeting Pyongyang to fabricate a justification for declaring martial law.

The Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence, also sentencing former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun to 30 years and former National Intelligence Service Director Yeo In-hyeong to 15 years. Former Commander of the Drone Operations Command, Kim Yong-dae, received a three-year suspended sentence for abuse of power and destruction of military property related to the drone operation.

Prosecutors alleged that Yoon and his co-defendants deliberately created an emergency situation between October and November 2024 by initiating the drone operation. The special prosecution team argued that this action harmed South Korea's military interests and provided benefits to the enemy, leading to the treason charges.

The court stated that Yoon, Kim, and Yeo intentionally manufactured a crisis to secure the authority to declare martial law. The verdict represents a significant legal blow to the former president and his administration, stemming from actions taken during a period of heightened inter-Korean tensions.

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Yoon Suk-yeol, Kim Yong-hyun, and Yeo In-hyeong intentionally created an emergency situation to secure the authority to declare martial law.