The ruling, delivered on Friday by the Seoul Central District Court, marks the latest legal setback for Yoon, whose brief imposition of martial law triggered one of South Korea’s most serious political crises in decades and ultimately led to his removal from office.
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to a fresh 30 years imprison after a Seoul court found him guilty of orchestrating a military drone operation over North Korea that prosecutors said was intended to justify his controversial declaration of martial law in late 2024.
The ruling, delivered on Friday by the Seoul Central District Court, marks the latest legal setback for Yoon, whose brief imposition of martial law triggered one of South Korea’s most serious political crises in decades and ultimately led to his removal from office.
The court ruled that Yoon was convicted of aiding the enemy and abuse of power over allegations that he played a central role in an October 2024 drone incursion into North Korean airspace.
The court concluded that the former president had been involved in planning the operation from the beginning and that it was linked to efforts to create conditions that could support his later declaration of martial law.
