Seoul: Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Friday for authorizing drone flights into North Korea. Prosecutors argued the operation was designed to fabricate wartime conditions, creating a pretext for his controversial martial law declaration in 2024.
This ruling adds to Yoon’s existing life sentence handed down in February for leading an insurrection aimed at paralyzing the National Assembly. Special prosecutors contend that the drone mission undermined state security and heightened tensions with Pyongyang, particularly after classified information leaked when the devices crashed.
Yoon has appealed the conviction, maintaining that his actions were solely for national interest. His legal team denied any direct order or approval from the former president, characterizing the drone deployment as a legitimate self-defense response to North Korean trash balloons rather than part of a political conspiracy.
The incident underscores the fragile stability on the Korean Peninsula, where technical hostilities persist. While current President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret over recent unauthorized drone incursions, diplomatic prospects remain dim as North Korea continues to designate the South as its primary enemy.