Former South Korean President Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison
A court in Seoul found former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol guilty and sentenced him to 30 years in prison. According to the investigation, the charges involve sending drones to Pyongyang with the aim of provoking a military conflict with North Korea and creating grounds for declaring martial law in 2024.
On Friday, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Yoon to 30 years in prison on charges of aiding the enemy and abuse of power, stating that the operation was carried out at the risk of South Korean citizens’ lives.
“The operation involved the use of South Korean military resources for personal purposes unrelated to national security or territorial defense. As a result, our military capabilities were exposed to North Korea, which complicated future operations and led to an increase in North Korea’s readiness,” the court’s statement read.
Yoon’s legal team criticized the verdict, stating that the operation was a response to North Korea’s campaign of launching balloons carrying trash into South Korean territory.
“To consider military actions aimed at defending the state a criminal offense, and the response of our armed forces to North Korea’s constant provocations as actions benefiting the enemy, means ignoring the security realities facing South Korea,” the statement reads.
In 2024, North Korea launched thousands of balloons carrying leaflets and trash in response to South Korea’s military exercises with the U.S. and other actions that Pyongyang viewed as a threat to its sovereignty.
Yoon is already serving a life sentence for organizing a rebellion by declaring martial law—a move that shocked the country and triggered the most serious political crisis in decades. The case is currently pending before an appeals court.
This was reported by Bloomberg.
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