South Korean Ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison

Seoul. South Korean former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun have been sentenced to 30 years in prison on Friday on charges of ordering drone flights over Pyongyang in 2024 with the aim of escalating tensions with North Korea. This is another serious verdict against Yoon, who has already been sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of imposing martial law.

The full details of the verdict handed down by the Seoul Central District Court have not yet been made public. However, the court had previously sentenced Yoon to life imprisonment in December 2024, deeming the imposition of short-term martial law an act of rebellion.

The basis of this case was an accusation made by North Korea in October 2024. Pyongyang claimed that South Korea had flown drones three times and dropped propaganda materials over its capital. At that time, then-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun had stated that the Ministry of Defense could neither confirm nor deny the allegations. Although tensions between the two Koreas intensified after the incident, there was no direct military clash.

An investigation led by special prosecutor Cho Yoon-suk concluded that Yoon had attempted to create an atmosphere of war between North and South Korea to weaken political opponents and centralize power under his control.

The prosecution accused Yoon of planning to expand power in an authoritarian style. Similarly, Kim Yong Hyun was also held responsible for assisting in the planning of martial law and mobilizing the military.

The prosecution had sought a 30-year prison sentence for Yoon and 25 years for Kim. The court has sentenced Yoon to 30 years, while detailed decisions regarding Kim are yet to be released.

Yoon's legal representatives have criticized the verdict. They claim that the drone flights were a response to North Korea sending thousands of trash-carrying balloons towards South Korea in early 2024.

They argued that such a decision would weaken South Korea's national security interests. However, they have not yet made any immediate decisions public regarding whether they will appeal the verdict.

Yoon declared martial law in a televised address to the nation on the night of December 3, 2024. During this time, he labeled opposition liberal lawmakers as 'anti-state forces' sympathetic to North Korea. He presented the opposition party impeaching senior government officials and cutting the government's budget bill as the main reasons for his actions.

However, martial law lasted only about 6 hours. Lawmakers broke through the cordon of the military and police, entered the National Assembly, and voted to nullify the decision. The cabinet was then forced to withdraw martial law.

Following the incident, Yoon was immediately suspended from office. Subsequently, impeachment was passed by parliament, and the Constitutional Court formally removed him from office. Yoon, who was arrested in July 2025, still has various criminal cases pending against him.

The verdict on the most serious charge of rebellion against Yoon has been challenged by both sides. Yoon's side has appealed the sentence, while the prosecution is seeking a harsher sentence, demanding the death penalty. The recent 30-year prison sentence has further deepened Yoon's downfall in South Korea's recent political history.