South Korea’s Ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol Faces Long Prison Sentence

South Korea’s former President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived at the Seoul Central District Court on May 12, 2025, to attend his trial. He and his ex-defense minister were sentenced to 30 years in prison. The case involved allegations that Yoon ordered drone flights over Pyongyang in 2024 to escalate tensions with North Korea, aiming to justify declaring martial law domestically.

The court deemed Yoon and former defense minister Kim Yong Hyun guilty of aiding an adversary and abusing power. The court argued they attempted to provoke North Korea into aggressive actions against South Korea to fabricate a national emergency. The tactics allegedly jeopardized South Korea’s military interests by compromising its operational capabilities and increasing North Korea’s defensive posture.

Previously, the court sentenced Yoon to life in prison for his role in imposing martial law temporarily in December 2024. North Korea had accused South Korea of deploying drones to disperse propaganda leaflets over Pyongyang three times in October 2024. Kim, then the defense minister, gave an ambiguous denial, followed by a non-committal statement from the Defense Ministry. Tensions escalated but did not result in military conflict.

Yoon’s legal team criticized the ruling regarding the drone flights as a countermeasure to North Korea’s tactics, such as flying balloons filled with trash into South Korea earlier in 2024. They warned that the conviction might undermine national security interests, yet an appeal decision hasn’t been announced.

Special prosecutor Cho Eun-suk led a team seeking a 30-year sentence for Yoon, claiming he aimed to provoke conflict between the Koreas and unsettle political stability to solidify his power. Kim Yong Hyun, a close advisor to Yoon, faced a proposed 25-year sentence for collaborating on Yoon’s declaration of martial law.

On December 3, 2024, Yoon declared martial law publicly, accusing liberal lawmakers of being pro-North Korea forces. He cited issues like official impeachments and budget cuts. The martial law declaration was short-lived—lasting only about six hours—before lawmakers breached security and reversed the decision, obliging Yoon’s Cabinet to lift martial law. Following these events, Yoon experienced political suspension, impeachment, and eventual removal by the Constitutional Court.

Yoon was detained in July 2025, facing multiple ongoing criminal trials. Both Yoon and prosecutors have appealed the verdict targeting the most severe charge of rebellion, initially seeking the death penalty.