In a significant legal development, former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was convicted last Friday for authorizing military drone flights over North Korea. This operation aimed to raise tensions on the Korean Peninsula and create a pretext for declaring martial law.

Yoon, 65 years old, has been embroiled in multiple trials following his impeachment and removal from office in 2025 for unlawfully imposing martial law in 2024. His actions led to a previous conviction for insurrection, resulting in a life sentence handed down in February.

For the recent drone operation, Yoon received a 30-year prison sentence. This crime, classified as “undermining South Korea’s military interests or aiding an enemy state,” is unprecedented in South Korea’s history for a former president. A life sentence is the maximum punishment for this charge.

The Seoul Central District Court’s three-judge panel found Yoon and his associates guilty of using drones to increase military tensions with North Korea in late 2024. The operation was meant to justify martial law. A special prosecutor called it “an anti-state and anti-national crime” and sought a 30-year sentence for Yoon.

Yoon’s collaborators also faced consequences. Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun received a 30-year sentence, while former Counterintelligence Commander Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyong received 15 years. Both had been previously sentenced for their involvement in Yoon’s martial law actions.