Former South Korean President Faces 30-Year Sentence Over Drone Controversy
Legal Proceedings Against Yoon Suk Yeol
File image of S Korea's Ex-President, Yoon Suk-yeol (Photo:X)
Seoul, April 24: A special counsel team in South Korea has called for a 30-year prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, citing charges of aiding the enemy by allegedly ordering military drones to be sent over Pyongyang in 2024.
The team, led by special counsel Cho Eun-suk, has also requested a 25-year sentence for former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun on similar charges.
According to the counsel, the drone dispatch in October 2024 was intended to provoke a response from North Korea, which they claim was part of Yoon's strategy to justify his unsuccessful attempt to impose martial law two months later.
They stated, "This criminal act severely compromised the military interests of the nation and posed significant risks to national security," accusing both individuals of committing a "crime against the state and its citizens."
The counsel argued that this action escalated tensions between the two Koreas and resulted in the leak of military secrets when one of the drones crashed in North Korean territory.
At that time, Pyongyang accused Seoul of repeatedly sending drones into its airspace and released images of a downed drone.
The trial hearing held on Friday was conducted behind closed doors due to concerns regarding national security.
Earlier this month, the special counsel sought a 20-year sentence for Yeo In-hyung, the former head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, and a five-year term for Kim Yong-dae, the former chief of the Drone Operations Command, for their alleged roles in the drone dispatch.
Currently in custody, Yoon is facing several criminal trials related to his failed martial law declaration on December 3, 2024.
In February, a district court sentenced him to life imprisonment for instigating an insurrection through his martial law declaration, as reported by a news agency.