Ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Sentenced to 30 Years for Drone Flights Over Pyongyang

A South Korean court on Friday sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his former defense minister to 30 years in prison each in connection with drone flights over Pyongyang. The court found that in 2024, Yoon authorized surveillance drone missions over North Korea's capital to deliberately escalate tensions and create a pretext for imposing martial law domestically.

Yoon, who was impeached and removed from office after a controversial martial law attempt, was convicted of abuse of power and endangering national security. The former defense minister was deemed complicit in executing the plan. Prosecutors argued that the drone flights were intended to provoke a military response from North Korea, which would then justify Yoon's emergency measures.

The verdict marks a rare instance of a former head of state being held accountable for actions aimed at manipulating inter-Korean relations. Yoon's legal team has announced plans to appeal the decision, claiming the trial was politically motivated.