The Seoul Central District Court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison Friday in a case that accused him of ordering drone flights over North Korea to justify his declaration of martial law, the court said. Former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun was sentenced alongside him, the court added.
The court previously sentenced Yoon to life in prison for leading an insurrection after he declared martial law in December 2024, the ruling said. The move lasted about six hours before lawmakers voted to overturn it amid mass protests, court records show.
North Korea accused South Korea of flying drones over Pyongyang to drop propaganda leaflets on three occasions in October 2024, North Korean statements said. Then‑Defense Minister Kim initially issued a vague denial, and South Korea’s Defense Ministry later said it could neither confirm nor deny the allegations, the ministry said. Officials said the flights did not lead to military clashes.
Prosecutors said Yoon sought to create a crisis with North Korea and mount an authoritarian power grab to remove political opponents and consolidate control. Yoon has argued he had constitutional authority to declare martial law and said the move was meant to draw attention to what he viewed as obstruction by opposition parties, his lawyers have said.
Yoon, 65, was arrested in July 2025 and faces multiple criminal proceedings, court records show. Both Yoon and prosecutors have appealed the insurrection verdict; prosecutors had sought the death penalty, the filings say. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
