South Korea: Ex-President Yoon gets 30 years for sending drones into North Korea

South Korea's Yoon gets 30 years for sending drones north June 12, 2026A South Korean court on Friday sentenced the country's former President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison for sending drones into North Korea. The prosecutors had alleged that Yoon's move was a deliberate bid to stoke tensions with Pyongyang and justify his failed attempt to declare martial law in December 2024. The Seoul Central District Court delivered the verdict, finding Yoon guilty of abuse of power and aiding the enemy, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. Yoon has denied wrongdoing. South Korea's Yoon mired in legal troubles Yoon's short-lived imposition of martial law led to his impeachment. He was indicted over a slew of charges related to it and was formally removed from office in April 2025. In February, Yoon was handed a life sentence for leading an insurrection and undermining the constitution. The judges in the case ruled that his decision to declare martial law was "intended” to paralyze the National Assembly. Edited by: Darko Janjevic