Ex-South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol sentenced to 30 years over Pyongyang drone plot

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to an additional 30 years in prison today for his role in a plot to send military drones into North Korea. Prosecutors argued that these drone flights, conducted in October 2024, were intended to fabricate wartime conditions to justify his subsequent declaration of martial law. This new sentence adds to a life imprisonment term he received in February for leading an insurrection related to that martial law declaration.

Yoon, who was impeached in December 2024 and officially removed from office in April 2025, maintains his innocence. His legal team contends that the drone operations were a defensive response to North Korean actions, not a pretext for martial law. His former defense minister also received a 30-year sentence in connection with the drone plot, and Yoon is expected to appeal the latest conviction.