A South Korean court on Friday sentenced former president Yoon Suk-yeol to 30 years in prison after finding that he ordered military drone flights into North Korea as part of a plan to manufacture a national security crisis ahead of his controversial martial law declaration in 2024.
The Seoul Central District Court ruled that Yoon intended to provoke a response from Pyongyang and heighten inter-Korean tensions in an effort to justify suspending civilian rule.
Judges said the drone operation was designed to trigger armed or comparable actions from North Korea, creating conditions that could be used to support the declaration of martial law.
‘Drones were used for political gain’
According to the ruling, Yoon improperly used South Korea’s military capabilities for personal political objectives rather than national security needs.
The court said presidential powers, including command of the armed forces and the authority to declare martial law, must be exercised to protect the nation, not to advance political interests.
Yoon has denied wrongdoing, insisting that his martial law declaration was made “for the sake of the nation.” His legal team also argued that the drone flights were a response to North Korean balloons carrying trash across the border.
The sentence comes as Yoon remains in detention while appealing a separate life sentence for leading what prosecutors described as an insurrection through his December 2024 martial law declaration.
Fallout from a political crisis
Yoon's late-night announcement of martial law in December 2024 plunged South Korea into political turmoil, triggering mass protests and rattling financial markets before lawmakers overturned the measure within hours.
The crisis ultimately led to his removal from office and the election of President Lee Jae-myung after months of political instability.
Drone operations remain a sensitive issue on the Korean Peninsula, where North and South Korea remain technically at war and military tensions continue to simmer.
