A Seoul court recently found former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol guilty of ordering drone infiltrations into North Korea, a strategy designed to escalate border tensions and create the necessary pretext for declaring martial law in December 2024. The court sentenced him to an additional 30 years in prison, following the recommendation of the specialized investigator.
The court determined that Yoon orchestrated this operation in October 2024 specifically to provoke Pyongyang, intending to use the expected surge in tensions as justification for his declaration of martial law on December 3rd. While Yoon’s defense lawyers have already filed an appeal, two other figures were also convicted. Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun was also sentenced to 30 years, and Yeo In-hyung, the former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, received a 15-year sentence. Kim Yong-dae, the former head of the drone command, was given a three-year term, which was suspended for five years.
According to the court, the defendants employed military tactics of psychological warfare to provoke North Korea, aiming to precipitate either an armed provocation or a national security crisis. These actions were deemed to have betrayed the public’s trust in the legitimate use of military force by the President and the Defense Minister.
