Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Sentenced to 30 Years for Drone Operation Against North Korea
On June 12, 2026, the Seoul Central District Court‘s Criminal Division 36 sentenced former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison, finding him guilty of general treachery and abuse of authority for obstructing others’ rights. The court determined that in October 2024, Yoon instructed the military to infiltrate drones into Pyongyang as part of a psychological warfare operation aimed at provoking a military response from North Korea.
ASIA,POLITICS
Global N Press
6/12/20261 min read
On June 12, 2026, the Seoul Central District Court‘s Criminal Division 36 sentenced former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison, finding him guilty of general treachery and abuse of authority for obstructing others’ rights. The court determined that in October 2024, Yoon instructed the military to infiltrate drones into Pyongyang as part of a psychological warfare operation aimed at provoking a military response from North Korea, which he could then use as a pretext to declare emergency martial law. Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun received a 30-year sentence, and former Defense Intelligence Command chief Yeo In-hyung received 15 years.
The court ruled that Yoon abused his authority by mobilizing military forces for personal political gain rather than legitimate national defense purposes, causing unnecessary losses to military strength and revealing South Korean military capabilities to North Korea while prompting heightened North Korean readiness. The court noted that Yoon believed he could exercise his constitutional powers arbitrarily for personal political benefit. Earlier, on June 3, South Korea held its ninth local elections, during which 26 polling stations temporarily suspended voting due to ballot shortages, sparking public protests. On June 11, police raided the headquarters and branches of the National Election Commission to investigate the shortages.
