Overview
- A Seoul court on Friday found Yoon Suk Yeol guilty of benefiting the enemy and abuse of power and gave him a 30-year prison term for ordering October 2024 drone flights into Pyongyang.
- The court said the flights were meant to heighten cross‑border tensions so Yoon could justify declaring martial law, and it concluded the operation exposed South Korean military capabilities and risked lives.
- Former defence minister Kim Yong‑hyun was also sentenced to 30 years, Yeo In‑hyung received 15 years, and Kim Yong‑dae was given a three‑year term suspended for five years.
- Yoon remains in custody and is already serving a life sentence from February 2026 for leading an insurrection; his legal team denies he ordered the drone operation and has filed appeals.
- The verdict deepens debate over civilian control of the military, raises diplomatic and security risks for inter‑Korean relations, and leaves multiple related trials and appeals unresolved.