Ex-President Sentenced to 30 Years for Drone Incursion into North Korea

A Seoul district court sentenced former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison on Friday, finding that he conspired to send drones into North Korea in October 2024 to inflame tensions and create a pretext for declaring martial law. Judges said the operation was designed to fabricate "conditions for war," and concluded that Yoon abused his authority and aided the enemy.

Special prosecutors said the drone mission not only endangered national security but also exposed classified information about military capabilities after the drones crashed on North Korean territory. The court convicted Yoon of serious charges including aiding the enemy and abuse of power.

The new sentence adds to a life term Yoon received in February for leading an uprising against parliament. Yoon, who was removed from office last year, denied all allegations. His lawyers argued that the drone launches were a response to North Korean trash balloons, not part of a political scheme.

The court rejected that explanation, and said the attack was an attempt to manufacture a war-like situation. Yoon is currently in detention and may appeal the ruling.