South Korean ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol sentenced to additional 30 years in prison in Seoul

A Seoul court found former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol guilty of ordering drones to be sent to North Korean territory in October 2024. According to the court, he intended to create a pretext for declaring martial law, which he announced in December 2024. Yoon was sentenced to an additional 30 years in prison on top of his existing life sentence.

A Seoul court has handed down a verdict against former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, sentencing him to an additional 30 years in prison on top of his existing life sentence. According to the court ruling, Yoon ordered unmanned aerial vehicles to be sent to North Korean territory in October 2024.

Drone operation as pretext

The court found that the real purpose of the drone operation was not military but political-to create an artificial crisis situation that would serve as justification for declaring martial law. Yoon declared martial law in December 2024, triggering a serious political crisis in South Korea.

The martial law declaration was overturned by parliament within hours of being announced, but the incident became one of the most significant constitutional crises in the country's recent history. Yoon was removed from office and arrested.

Sentences pile up

The new 30-year sentence is added to the life sentence Yoon received in previous criminal proceedings. The charges included unconstitutional activities related to the declaration of martial law.