South Korea’s ex-President Yoon gets 30 years over North Korea drone operation

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to 30 years in prison by a Seoul court on Friday over charges linked to military drones sent into North Korean airspace in October 2024. The Seoul Central District Court found Yoon guilty of offences including abuse of power and aiding the enemy, ruling that he had been involved in the drone operation that prosecutors said was intended to help create conditions leading to his martial law declaration later that year.

The drone flights triggered heightened tensions between South Korea and North Korea after Pyongyang alleged that the aircraft had crossed into its territory and dropped propaganda leaflets. Prosecutors argued that the operation was part of an effort to manufacture a security crisis and sought a 30-year prison sentence for Yoon during court proceedings in April.

Yoon denied all allegations. His legal team maintained that he neither ordered nor approved the drone operation and argued that the flights were unrelated to the martial law declaration. The defence stated that the operation was a response to months of North Korean balloon launches carrying rubbish across the border into South Korea.

The ruling adds to a series of legal setbacks for the former president. Earlier this year, Yoon was sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of leading an insurrection linked to his martial law attempt. He was subsequently removed from office after the Constitutional Court upheld his impeachment, leading to a snap presidential election that was won by Lee Jae Myung.

Yoon is already in custody and retains the right to appeal the latest verdict. The drone issue remains a sensitive point in relations between the two Koreas, which remain technically at war. Authorities continue to examine developments linked to cross-border drone operations and military activities that contributed to heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula.