Overview
- On Friday the Seoul Central District Court imposed an additional 30-year prison term on former president Yoon Suk Yeol for approving drone operations aimed at North Korea.
- The court said the drone campaign provoked Pyongyang, risked civilian and military casualties, and led to the leakage of classified information about South Korean capabilities.
- Former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun received the same 30-year sentence for his role in planning and executing the operations.
- The ruling builds on earlier convictions: Yoon was already sentenced to life in February for unlawfully declaring emergency rule and has other pending appeals.
- The verdict deepens political and security fallout by raising questions about civilian control of the military, the handling of classified operations, and ongoing tensions between the Koreas.