SouthernWorldwide.com – Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to 30 years in prison following a court ruling on Friday.
The conviction stems from accusations that he ordered drone flights over North Korea. This action was allegedly taken to justify his declaration of martial law.
The Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence to Yoon, 65, concurrently with former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun. Both were implicated in the case.
This latest sentencing follows a previous conviction where the former president was sentenced to life imprisonment. That sentence was for leading an insurrection after he declared martial law in December 2024.
North Korea had accused South Korea of flying drones over its capital, Pyongyang. These drones were allegedly used to drop propaganda leaflets on three separate occasions in October 2024.
While tensions between the two Koreas did heighten after these incidents, the drone flights themselves did not result in any military clashes.
Prosecutors presented a case accusing Yoon of attempting to engineer a crisis with North Korea. This was part of an alleged authoritarian power grab designed to eliminate political opponents and consolidate his control.
Prior to declaring martial law, Yoon delivered a televised address. In this speech, he accused liberal lawmakers of sympathizing with North Korea.
Yoon, however, maintained that he possessed the constitutional authority to declare martial law. He argued that the decision was intended to highlight what he perceived as obstruction from opposition parties.
His attempt to impose martial law was short-lived, lasting approximately six hours. It was ultimately overturned by lawmakers amidst widespread public protests.
Yoon was arrested in July 2025 and has since been involved in multiple criminal proceedings.
Both Yoon and the prosecution have appealed the insurrection verdict. Prosecutors had initially sought the death penalty for the former president in relation to the martial law declaration, which they termed a self-coup.
