South Korea’s former president, Yoon Suk Yeol, along with his ex-defense minister, Kim Yong Hyun, were handed down a 30-year prison sentence on Friday. They were convicted by the Seoul Central District Court for orchestrating drone flights over Pyongyang in 2024 to escalate tensions with North Korea and justify imposing martial law in South Korea.
The court ruled that Yoon and Kim were found guilty of assisting an adversary and misusing their authority to instigate North Korea into launching armed attacks against South Korea, creating a national emergency. This reckless action compromised South Korea’s military capabilities, hampering its operational readiness and prompting North Korea to bolster its defense capabilities.
Yoon had previously been sentenced to life in prison by the same court for his involvement in a rebellion case related to the brief enforcement of martial law in December 2024.
The tensions between North and South Korea escalated in October 2024 when North Korea accused South Korea of deploying drones over Pyongyang to distribute propaganda leaflets. Despite initial denials, the South Korean Defense Ministry neither confirmed nor denied the allegations. Fortunately, the situation did not escalate into military hostilities.
Yoon’s defense team challenged the recent verdict, arguing that the drone flights were a response to North Korea’s provocative actions, including sending balloons carrying trash into South Korea. They contended that a guilty verdict would jeopardize South Korea’s national security interests.
Special prosecutor Cho Eun-suk led the investigation, seeking a 30-year prison term for Yoon for attempting to incite conflict between the two Koreas and consolidate power by eliminating political opponents. Kim, a close ally of Yoon, was recommended a 25-year prison sentence for his role in planning and executing Yoon’s martial law declaration.
Yoon declared martial law on December 3, 2024, accusing liberal lawmakers of being sympathetic to North Korea and labeling them as “anti-state” forces. The martial law lasted for approximately six hours until lawmakers intervened and overturned the measure, leading to Yoon’s impeachment and removal from office.
Yoon’s subsequent arrest in July 2025 resulted in ongoing criminal proceedings. The rebellion case against him, which sought a death penalty, has been appealed by both Yoon and the prosecutors.
