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Ex-South Korean President Yoon Gets 30 Years for Drone Incursion

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Outcome reported
  • Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol received a 30-year prison sentence for sending military drones into North Korea.
  • The court found Yoon intended to provoke Pyongyang and create a national crisis to justify a martial law declaration.
  • Yoon is already serving a life sentence for his martial law declaration and is appealing both convictions.

A South Korean court has sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison for a drone incursion into North Korea. Judges ruled Friday that Yoon planned the action as a pretext for a disastrous martial law declaration in 2024.

heighten inter-Korean military tensions and manufacture a national crisis

— Seoul Central District Court judgesDescribing former President Yoon Suk Yeol's alleged motives for approving a drone operation into North Korea.

The drone flights, which occurred two months before Yoon suspended civilian rule, ignited anger in Pyongyang. North Korea accused the South of dropping propaganda leaflets. The court stated Yoon intended to provoke Pyongyang "into carrying out armed or equivalent acts against South Korea’s military or people." Judges added that Yoon planned to "heighten inter-Korean military tensions and manufacture a national crisis" to justify his martial law.

entailed the use of South Korea’s military capabilities for private purposes

— Seoul Central District Court judgesRuling on the 2024 drone operation approved by former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Yoon received the 30-year sentence specifically for the drone operation, which the court deemed an "use of South Korea’s military capabilities for private purposes." He is currently detained and appealing a separate life sentence for leading an insurrection with his martial law declaration. Yoon maintains he declared martial law "solely for the sake of the nation."

believing he could arbitrarily use such powers for his own political gain

— Seoul Central District Court judgesExplaining the court's view on former President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval of the drone operation.

His defense argued the drone operation was a response to North Korea sending balloons carrying trash across the border. However, the court found that Yoon approved the military drone operation, "believing he could arbitrarily use such powers for his own political gain." The former president's late-night televised address in December 2024 suspending civilian rule plunged South Korea into an unprecedented political crisis. Martial law lasted only about six hours before lawmakers voted it down. The incident triggered protests, caused the stock market to plunge, and surprised key allies like the United States. Yoon is facing multiple legal cases, and Lee Jae Myung was elected president following the political chaos.

solely for the sake of the nation

— Yoon Suk YeolThe former president's defense of his martial law declaration.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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