Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for orchestrating drone incursions into North Korea in October 2024. The Seoul Central District Court found him guilty of abuse of power and aiding the enemy, according to the Yonhap news agency.
Prosecutors argued that the drone flights were intended to fabricate wartime conditions and provide a pretext for Yoon's failed martial law declaration in December 2024. The court ruled that Yoon conspired in the operation from the outset, undermining state security.
Yoon denied wrongdoing, with his lawyers stating he neither ordered nor approved the drone flights. They claimed the incursions were a response to North Korea's launch of rubbish-filled balloons across the border.
The sentencing adds to a series of legal woes for the ousted conservative leader. In February, he was handed a life sentence for leading an insurrection with his martial law declaration. Yoon has appealed that conviction, insisting he acted solely for the nation.
North Korea accused Seoul of flying drones over Pyongyang three times in October 2024 to drop propaganda leaflets, raising tensions sharply. The South Korean defence ministry initially issued a vague denial before neither confirming nor denying the allegations.
Yoon, who is already in custody, can appeal Friday's ruling. The case highlights ongoing tensions between the two Koreas, which remain technically at war.
