Seoul court to decide fate of former President Yoon over drone operation

The Seoul Central District Court will hold a hearing on Friday to deliver a verdict in the case against former President Yoon Suk‑yeol. Yoon faces charges of benefiting the enemy, abuse of authority and obstruction of police arrests for ordering the South Korean military to fly drones over Pyongyang in October 2024 as a pretext to declare martial law on Dec. 3.

The trial will also consider cases against former Defence Minister Kim Yong‑hyun, former head of the Defence Counterintelligence Command Yeo In‑hyung, and Maj. Gen. Kim Yong‑dae, former chief of the Drone Operations Command. A special counsel team has asked for a 30‑year prison term, arguing the drone incursions heightened inter‑Korean tensions and led to the leakage of military secrets. Yoon was previously sentenced to life in prison for a failed martial‑law bid in February, marking the first ruling in that case.