Ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol sentenced to 30 years for drone operation

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison after finding him guilty of ordering military drones to fly over North Korea in October 2024. prosecutors said the incursion was intended to provoke Pyongyang and create a pretext for Yoon’s failed declaration of martial law in December 2024. The court also convicted former defence minister Kim Yong‑hyun to 30 years, former defence counter‑intelligence chief Yeo In‑hyung to 15 years and former head of the Drone Operations Command Kim Yong‑dae to a three‑year term with a suspended sentence. Yoon, who already serves a life sentence for insurrection tied to the martial‑law episode, denied ordering the operation, claiming the drones were a response to North Korean balloon provocations. No armed clash resulted, but the rulings add to a series of legal setbacks for the ousted leader and underscore tensions between the two Koreas.