'Price for Treason': Yoon Suk-yeol Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison

A South Korean court has sentenced former President Yoon Suk-yeol to 30 years in prison on charges including inciting rebellion and abuse of power. The verdict, delivered on June 12 by the Seoul Central District Court, relates to allegations that Yoon orchestrated a drone operation in late 2024.

The prosecution claimed that Yoon, along with former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and former Director of the Defense Security Command Yeo In-hyeong, planned the drone incursions into North Korea. The alleged motive was to create a pretext for declaring martial law, thereby consolidating power.

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The 30-year sentence is the price for treason. It is light compared to the weight of the crime of endangering the Republic of Korea.

The court found Yoon, Kim, and Yeo guilty of intentionally creating an emergency situation to exercise the authority to declare martial law. Yoon received a 30-year sentence, while Kim also received 30 years. Yeo was sentenced to 15 years.

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The weight of the crime of aiming a gun at the people for one's own political purposes, using the danger of war as an excuse, has finally been confirmed by the law. We must clearly leave in history what price traitors who betrayed the people and undermined the constitution must pay, so that such individuals do not appear again.

Former Commander of the Drone Operations Command, Kim Yong-dae, who was accused of abuse of power and inciting destruction of military property for directing the drone operation, received a sentence of three years in prison, suspended for five years.

The Democratic Party reacted swiftly and vehemently to the verdict. Party lawmaker Park Ju-min described Yoon as a "traitor to Korean history" and called the sentence a "most natural result." He stated that the "weight of the crime of aiming a gun at the people for one's own political purposes, using the danger of war as an excuse, has finally been confirmed by the law."

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This ruling is a historical condemnation of treason by those who pushed the nation towards the brink of war for the sake of maintaining power and personal gain. The madness of those who sought to provoke inter-Korean military conflict and were willing to go to war for the sake of power cannot be tolerated.

Another Democratic lawmaker, Han Jun-ho, echoed this sentiment, calling the 30-year sentence the "price for treason" and suggesting it was lenient given the gravity of endangering the nation. He characterized the events as a "planned crime" to "trample on democracy and the constitution" for the sake of power, not an accidental incident.

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Former President Yoon, Kim, and Yeo intentionally created an emergency situation to exercise the authority to declare martial law.