A South Korean court on Friday sentenced former president Yoon Suk-yeol to 30 years in prison after finding that he ordered military drone flights into North Korea as part of a plan to manufacture a national security crisis ahead of his controversial martial law declaration in 2024.
The Seoul Central District Court ruled that Yoon intended to provoke a response from Pyongyang and heighten inter-Korean tensions in an effort to justify suspending civilian rule.
Judges said the drone operation was designed to trigger armed or comparable actions from North Korea, creating conditions that could be used to support the declaration of martial law.
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‘Drones were used for political gain’
According to the ruling, Yoon improperly used South Korea’s military capabilities for personal political objectives rather than national security needs.
The court said presidential powers, including command of the armed forces and the authority to declare martial law, must be exercised to protect the nation, not to advance political interests.
