Former President Jailed For 30 Years In Landmark Ruling

According to Ireporter Online, a South Korean court has sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison over allegations connected to a military drone operation targeting Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.

The Seoul Central District Court in its ruling on Friday found Yoon guilty of abuse of power and aiding an enemy in relation to a drone mission carried out in October 2024. The court stated that he was involved from the outset in the alleged plan to deploy drones into North Korean airspace, an action prosecutors linked to an attempt to justify a martial law declaration in December 2024.

Yoon has denied all allegations against him. His legal representatives maintained that he neither ordered nor approved the drone operation, insisting it was unrelated to any martial law plans. They further argued that the mission was a response to earlier provocations from North Korea, including balloon launches believed to have carried waste materials across the border.

Prosecutors had earlier sought a 30-year prison term during proceedings held in April.

The ruling adds to the former president’s growing legal troubles. Yoon, a former top prosecutor before entering politics, was removed from office after the Constitutional Court upheld his impeachment, a development that triggered a snap election which brought liberal leader Lee Jae Myung into power.

In a separate case, he had previously been handed a life sentence over allegations of insurrection tied to the attempted imposition of martial law.

He is currently in custody and is expected to appeal the latest judgment.