(Adnkronos) – Former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol has been sentenced to 30 years in prison by a Seoul court for authorizing the sending of drones to North Korea with the aim of provoking an escalation of military tensions and creating the conditions for the imposition of martial law. According to the judges, the operation, conducted about two months before the controversial declaration of martial law in December 2024, was aimed at pushing Pyongyang to take hostile actions against the South, fueling a national crisis that could have justified extraordinary measures.
In the reasons for the verdict, the court argues that Yoon used the country’s military capabilities to pursue personal political objectives, abusing the powers conferred upon the President of the Republic and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The former head of state, already detained while appealing a separate life sentence for insurrection related to the declaration of martial law, has also appealed this new sentence. His lawyers argue that the drone operation was a response to repeated North Korean provocations, including the cross-border launch of balloons laden with waste.
