Seoul (South Korea), 12 June (LaPresse/AP) – Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for ordering drone flights over Pyongyang in 2024 with the aim, according to the prosecution, of escalating tensions with North Korea and justifying martial law at home. The Seoul court found Yoon and former Defence Minister Kim Yong Hyun guilty of abuse of power and of endangering national security by attempting to provoke a North Korean reaction. According to the judges, the operation compromised the country’s military interests and strengthened Pyongyang’s defensive posture. Yoon is already serving a life sentence for attempting to impose martial law in December 2024, which lasted a few hours before Parliament intervened. His lawyers are contesting the verdict, arguing that the flights were a response to balloons laden with rubbish sent by the North. An appeal is possible.
South Korea: former president Yoon sentenced to 30 years
Seoul (South Korea), 12 June (LaPresse/AP) – Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for ordering drone flights over Pyongyang in 2024 with the aim, according to the prosecution, of escalating tensions with North Korea and justifying martial law at home. The Seoul court found Yoon and former Defence Minister Kim Yong Hyun guilty of abuse of power and of endangering national security by attempting to provoke a North Korean reaction. According to the judges, the operation compromised the country’s military interests and strengthened Pyongyang’s defensive posture. Yoon is already serving a life sentence for attempting to impose martial law in December 2024, which lasted a few hours before Parliament intervened. His lawyers are contesting the verdict, arguing that the flights were a response to balloons laden with rubbish sent by the North. An appeal is possible.
