Former South Korean President Yoon Handed 30-Year Jail Term on Top of a Previous Life Sentence

South Korea's political turmoil deepened on Friday after former president Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to 30 years in prison over a covert drone operation that prosecutors said was designed to provoke North Korea and justify the declaration of martial law in late 2024.

The ruling by the Seoul Central District Court marks another dramatic chapter in the downfall of the former conservative leader, who was once South Korea's chief prosecutor and one of the country's most powerful political figures. Already serving a life sentence for leading an insurrection linked to his failed martial law bid, Yoon now faces decades more behind bars after being found guilty of offences including abuse of power and aiding the enemy.

The court concluded that Yoon had played a central role in an operation that sent military drones into Pyongyang in October 2024, an incident that significantly raised tensions on the Korean Peninsula and increased fears of military confrontation between the two rivals.

Court Finds Drone Mission Was Intended to Trigger Crisis

According to prosecutors, the drone flights were not merely a military response to North Korean actions but part of a wider strategy intended to provoke a reaction from the regime of Kim Jong Un.

Judges agreed with that assessment, ruling that the operation was designed to encourage retaliation from North Korea and help create conditions that could later be used to justify emergency measures inside South Korea.

In its judgement, the court stated that the defendants had used the appearance of a military operation to induce provocations from North Korea and create a state of emergency. The ruling added that their actions increased the risk of military conflict on the peninsula.

Former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun was also sentenced to 30 years in prison. Former counterintelligence chief Yeo In-hyung received 15 years, while former drone operations commander Kim Yong-dae was given a three-year prison sentence suspended for five years.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol's Previous Life Sentence

The case is closely linked to the extraordinary events of December 2024, when Yoon unexpectedly declared martial law, claiming South Korea faced threats from 'anti-state' forces sympathetic to North Korea.

The declaration triggered widespread public outrage and mass demonstrations across the country. Within hours, lawmakers and protesters challenged the move, forcing Yoon to reverse the order. Investigations later focused on whether he had sought to manufacture a national security crisis beforehand.

Yoon was subsequently impeached, removed from office by South Korea's Constitutional Court and later convicted of insurrection. He was handed a life sentence in February 2026. His removal led to a snap presidential election won by liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung.

Defence Maintains Operation Was Legitimate

Yoon's legal team has consistently denied wrongdoing. His lawyers argued that any drone activity was a legitimate response to repeated North Korean provocations, including the launch of balloons carrying rubbish and waste across the border in 2024.

The defence insisted there was no connection between the drone operation and the later martial law declaration. However, the court rejected those arguments, finding that Yoon bore the greatest responsibility for the events.

Although he remains in custody, Yoon retains the right to appeal Friday's ruling. The latest sentence further cements one of the most dramatic political falls in modern South Korean history, a saga that has reshaped the nation's politics and left lasting questions about power, security and accountability at the highest levels of government.