South Korea: former president Yoon sentenced to a further 30 years
In 2024, the former head of state had ordered drones to be sent across the border into the North: he wanted the situation to escalate so that he could declare martial law
from our correspondent Marco Masciaga
Key points
NEW DELHI - Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his former defence minister were sentenced on Friday to 30 years in prison for ordering drones to be sent into the skies above the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, in order to provoke a reaction from the rival country and thereby be able to declare martial law at home.
The Seoul Central District Court has found Yoon and former Defence Minister Kim Yong Hyun guilty of aiding an enemy state and abuse of power. “The operation involved the use of South Korean military resources for private purposes unrelated to national security or the defence of the territory,” the court said in a statement. “Consequently, our military capabilities and resources were exposed to North Korea, making future operations more difficult and contributing to the strengthening of North Korea’s military preparedness.”
The Provocation
In October 2024, North Korea accused Seoul of having sent drones over Pyongyang on three separate occasions to drop propaganda leaflets aimed at embarrassing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Tensions between the two countries rose, but did not escalate to anything serious enough to justify the imposition of martial law in South Korea.
Yoon’s lawyers have criticised the ruling, arguing that the drone flights were a response to the thousands of balloons laden with rubbish that North Korea had sent into the South in early 2024. In 2024, North Korea sent thousands of balloons laden with leaflets and debris in response to South Korea’s military exercises with the United States and other initiatives that Pyongyang considered a threat to its sovereignty.
Investigators led by special prosecutor Cho Eun-suk had sought a 30-year sentence for Yoon, accusing him of attempting to create a situation akin to a state of war between the two Koreas whilst preparing an authoritarian crackdown aimed at eliminating his political opponents. A 25-year sentence had been sought for former minister Kim Yong Hyun. Kim was one of Yoon’s closest aides and played a central role in mobilising the security forces needed to impose martial law.
