SEOUL, South Korea — A court in South Korea handed down 30-year prison sentences Friday to the nation’s former president Yoon Suk Yeol and his ex-defense minister for allegedly directing unmanned aircraft missions over North Korea’s capital during 2024 to escalate regional conflicts and create grounds for implementing emergency military rule domestically.
The complete text of the Seoul Central District Court’s decision was not readily accessible. This same judicial body had previously issued a life imprisonment sentence to Yoon for insurrection charges related to his brief implementation of emergency military control in December 2024.
Pyongyang claimed that Seoul conducted three separate drone operations over its territory in October 2024, dropping political materials. Kim Yong Hyun, who served as South Korea’s defense minister during that period, provided an ambiguous response to the accusations before the Defense Ministry stated it was unable to either verify or refute the claims. Regional hostilities escalated significantly but resulted in no armed confrontations.
Legal representatives for Yoon condemned the recent court decision, contending that the aerial missions were conducted in retaliation for North Korea’s earlier deployment of thousands of debris-laden balloons into South Korean territory in 2024. The defense team maintained that convicting their client would compromise South Korea’s national security objectives, though they have not yet announced plans for an appeal.
Prosecutors under the leadership of special prosecutor Cho Eun-suk had requested the 30-year sentence for Yoon, claiming he attempted to establish a conflict scenario between the two Korean nations while orchestrating an authoritarian campaign to eliminate political rivals and consolidate control. They had requested a 25-year term for Kim Yong Hyun, described as a close ally of Yoon who assisted in organizing and deploying forces during the martial law implementation.
Yoon moved forward with his emergency declaration during the late evening hours of December 3, 2024, broadcasting a televised statement where he characterized opposition legislators as North Korea-supporting forces working against the state. He referenced multiple complaints, focusing particularly on the opposition party’s impeachment efforts against senior government figures and reductions to his administration’s proposed budget.
The emergency military rule remained in effect for approximately six hours before legislators managed to bypass military and police barriers at the National Assembly building and voted to reverse the declaration, compelling Yoon’s administration to withdraw the measure.
Yoon faced immediate suspension from his position, underwent impeachment proceedings, and was officially dismissed by the Constitutional Court. His arrest occurred in July 2025, with multiple criminal proceedings currently underway.
The decision in the most severe case involving rebellion charges has been challenged by both Yoon’s team and prosecutors, who had originally requested capital punishment.
