A South Korean court has sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison after finding him guilty of involvement in a covert drone operation over Pyongyang that judges said was aimed at provoking North Korea and creating conditions for the declaration of martial law in December 2024.
The ruling was delivered on Friday by the Seoul Central District Court, marking a major moment in the country’s constitutional and political history. It is also the first time a former president has been convicted of an offence classified as an external security crime.
During the hearing, the court said Yoon played a central role in planning the operation from the beginning. In its ruling, the judges stated:
“The defendant conspired in the drone operation from the beginning and is a co-principal offender in the crime of benefiting the enemy,” the court highlighted in its ruling.
Former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun was also found guilty. The court ruled that both Yoon and Kim were involved in planning and executing the drone mission from its early stages.
Prosecutors told the court that the operation included multiple drone flights over Pyongyang starting in October 2024. They also alleged that anti-North Korea leaflets were distributed as part of an effort to provoke a reaction from Pyongyang.
According to the prosecution, some drones are believed to have crashed near the North Korean capital, raising concerns that North Korea may have accessed sensitive military information. They argued that details such as drone systems, onboard equipment, and flight routes could have been exposed, putting national security at risk.
The court accepted the prosecution’s position that the operation was not carried out for legitimate military or security needs. Judges said it was intended to increase tensions on the Korean Peninsula and create a political justification for declaring martial law on 3 December 2024.
Yoon denied any wrongdoing during the trial. He said he neither ordered nor approved the drone operation, arguing that it was a legitimate military response to North Korean actions, including the release of trash-carrying balloons across the border.
However, the court rejected his defence, saying the evidence showed he had been involved in planning and overseeing the operation.
Judges also found that the actions amounted to abuse of power and accepted claims that the mission served political purposes rather than national defence.
The ruling is being seen as one of the most significant legal decisions involving a former South Korean leader. Legal observers say it sets a precedent as the first conviction of a former president for an external security-related offence in the country’s modern history.
Yoon now joins other former South Korean leaders who have faced criminal prosecution after leaving office, but the nature of the charges and conviction marks an unprecedented development in the country’s democratic record.