Former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol sentenced to 30 years in prison

On Friday, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to 30 years in prison. The court found him guilty of abuse of power and aiding the enemy in connection with a drone operation over Pyongyang in October 2024. Prosecutors argued that Yoon orchestrated the mission to provoke North Korea and create a pretext for declaring martial law in December 2024. The defense denied these allegations, claiming the drone flights were a defensive response to North Korea sending trash-filled balloons across the border. This sentence follows previous legal actions against the former president, including a life sentence handed down in February for insurrection and an earlier conviction for obstruction of justice. The court concluded that Yoon aimed to manufacture a national security crisis to justify the suspension of constitutional order. Yoon, aged 65, maintained his innocence throughout the trial, asserting that he did not order or authorize the drone operation. The legal proceedings highlighted the severe political instability occurring in late 2024.