South Korea’s ex-president faces 30-year sentence in latest conviction

A Seoul court on Friday, June 12, sentenced former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison after finding him guilty of orchestrating drone incursions into North Korea in an effort to escalate cross-border tensions and create a pretext for declaring martial law in December 2024.

The Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence in line with special counsel Cho Eun-suk’s recommendation, convicting Yoon on charges that included benefiting the enemy and abuse of power.

According to the ruling, cited by Korean media, Yoon ordered the operation in October 2024 with the intention of provoking Pyongyang and leveraging the anticipated rise in tensions as justification for his December 3 declaration of martial law.

The court also sentenced former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun to 30 years in prison for his role in the operation, exceeding the 25-year term sought by the special counsel.

Yeo In-hyung, the former head of the Defence Counterintelligence Command, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his involvement. Meanwhile, Kim Yong-dae, former chief of the Drone Operations Command, received a three-year prison term, suspended for five years.

"With the purpose of creating an environment for emergency martial law, the defendants used the guise of a military operation to induce North Korea's provocation," the court said.

The verdict marks the latest conviction for Yoon, who remains in custody and is facing multiple trials linked to his failed martial law bid.

In February, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for leading an insurrection through his martial law declaration. He has appealed that ruling.

By Tamilla Hasanova