SEOUL, South Korea — Ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his former defense minister were sentenced to 30 years in prison Friday after being found guilty of ordering drone flights over Pyongyang in 2024, which prosecutors said were designed to heighten tensions with North Korea and justify declaring martial law at home.

The Seoul Central District Court convicted Yoon and ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun of aiding an adversary and abusing their power. According to the ruling, they sought to provoke North Korea into launching armed attacks or other serious provocations against South Korea as a means of manufacturing a national emergency.

The court said the moves harmed South Korea's military interests by exposing its capabilities, undermining its ability to conduct future operations and prompting North Korea to strengthen its defense posture. The same court had earlier sentenced Yoon to life in prison for rebellion conviction over his short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024.

North Korea accused Seoul of flying drones over Pyongyang to drop propaganda leaflets three times in October 2024. Kim, who was South Korea's defense minister at the time, issued a vague denial before the Defense Ministry said it could neither confirm nor deny the allegations. Tensions rose sharply but did not lead to any military clashes.

What the Left Is Saying

Progressive lawmakers and human rights advocates have largely supported the convictions as necessary accountability for what they characterize as an unprecedented attack on South Korea's democratic institutions. The special prosecutor's office, led by Cho Eun-suk, argued that Yoon sought to create a warlike situation between the Koreas while plotting an authoritarian push to remove his political opponents and monopolize power.

Investigators had sought a 30-year prison term for Yoon and a 25-year term for Kim Yong Hyun. Prosecutors said Yoon's actions represented a deliberate attempt to exploit national security concerns for personal political survival, undermining public trust in democratic governance. Opposition lawmakers who faced Yoon's accusations of being anti-state forces have welcomed the verdict as vindication.

What the Right Is Saying

Yoon's defense team criticized the ruling, arguing that the drone flights were a justified response to North Korea flying thousands of trash-carrying balloons into South Korean territory earlier in 2024. His lawyers argued that a guilty verdict would undermine South Korea's security interests and deter future administrations from responding firmly to North Korean provocations.

Supporters of Yoon have maintained that his martial law declaration, though ill-advised, was an attempt to address legitimate concerns about legislative obstruction. They note that the opposition-controlled parliament had repeatedly impeached senior officials and cut funding for Yoon's government initiatives. The defense team has not immediately said whether they will appeal the drone conviction.

What the Numbers Show

Yoon received two separate sentences from Seoul Central District Court: 30 years in prison for the drone incident convictions, added to a previous life sentence for rebellion related to the martial law declaration. Kim Yong Hyun also received 30 years for his role in both cases.

North Korea flew an estimated thousands of trash-carrying balloons across the border into South Korea during tensions earlier in 2024. The drones allegedly dropped propaganda leaflets over Pyongyang three times in October 2024, according to North Korean accusations that South Korea neither confirmed nor denied at the time.

The rebellion verdict has been appealed by both Yoon and prosecutors, who had sought a death sentence in that case. Yoon was arrested in July 2025 following his removal from office by the Constitutional Court. Multiple criminal trials remain ongoing.

The Bottom Line

The dual convictions represent one of the most significant legal reckonings for a former South Korean head of state. Yoon's actions have effectively ended his political career and could result in decades of imprisonment if both sentences are upheld.

What happens next: Both Yoon and prosecutors are expected to appeal their respective verdicts, meaning final sentencing may still be months away. The overlap between the drone case and rebellion case raises questions about whether sentences will be served concurrently or consecutively. International observers are watching how South Korea's judicial system handles accountability for actions taken by a sitting president.