30 Years in Prison for Former President: Seoul Closes the Martial Law Case

South Korean judicial authorities have announced the sentencing of former president Yoon Suk-yeol to 30 years in prison.

Yoon Suk-yeol was punished for ordering drones to be sent into North Korea, a move prosecutors say was intended to create a pretext for declaring martial law in December 2024.

The ruling comes after an earlier verdict issued in February, when Yoon was sentenced to life imprisonment for leading an insurrection aimed at “paralyzing” South Korea’s parliament through the declaration of martial law.

A spokesperson for the Seoul Central District Court told Agence France-Presse that Yoon “has been sentenced to 30 years in prison” on the charges brought against him, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.

Yoon Suk-yeol assumed the presidency of South Korea in 2022 during what was his third major political term, but his tenure did not reach completion as he was removed from office in 2025.

The former president briefly imposed martial law in December 2024, triggering a major political crisis and prompting millions of citizens to take part in nationwide protests.

In April, the special prosecutor requested a 30-year prison sentence for Yoon on charges of high treason linked to the infiltration of drones into the territory of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Yoon was accused of ordering the operation in October 2024 with the intention of militarily provoking Pyongyang in order to create a justification for declaring martial law.

The court also sentenced former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun to 30 years in prison, while former Defense Counterintelligence Command chief Yeo In-hyung received a 15-year prison sentence.

Former Drone Operations Command chief Kim Yong-dae was sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for five years.

Yoon and Kim were also convicted of abusing their authority in connection with issuing operational orders related to the operation.