SEOUL — A South Korean court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison on Friday after finding him guilty in a case related to drone incursions into North Korea, marking the latest ruling against the ousted leader following his removal from office and earlier convictions tied to his failed martial law declaration.
The Seoul Central District Court convicted Yoon on charges that included abuse of power and benefiting the enemy, according to court findings reported by Reuters and South Korea's Yonhap News Agency. The court said Yoon ordered drone infiltrations into North Korea in October 2024 in an effort to heighten tensions and create a basis for his declaration of martial law later that year.
Prosecutors had sought a 30-year prison sentence. The court's ruling matched that request, according to Yonhap. Yoon, who has denied wrongdoing, argued that the drone operations were a response to North Korean actions, including the launch of trash-carrying balloons across the border.
In its ruling, the court concluded that the operation was intended to provoke Pyongyang and increase cross-border tensions. According to Yonhap, judges found that the anticipated escalation could have been used as justification for the martial law declaration announced on Dec. 3, 2024.
Yoon's legal team rejected the court's findings and said it would appeal. According to the Associated Press, defense lawyers argued that the ruling undermined national security considerations and disputed the prosecution's account of the drone operation.
The case is separate from an earlier insurrection trial stemming from Yoon's brief declaration of martial law in 2024. In February, a Seoul court sentenced him to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of leading an insurrection, a ruling that remains under appeal. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty in that case.
Yoon was removed from office after South Korea's Constitutional Court upheld his impeachment, triggering a snap presidential election. He has faced multiple criminal proceedings since leaving office, according to court records and media reports.
The latest sentence was handed down on June 12. Court officials said Yoon remains in custody and retains the right to appeal. Details regarding the timing of any appellate proceedings were not immediately announced.
