South Korean prosecutors seek 30-year jail term for ex-president Yoon in drone case: Report
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The trial is one of eight Yoon is currently involved in after he was ousted in 2025.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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SEOUL – South Korean prosecutors sought a 30-year jail term for former president Yoon Suk Yeol on April 24, in a case alleging he ordered a drone operation over Pyongyang to help create a pretext for his declaration of martial law in December 2024, Yonhap news agency said.
The Seoul Central District Court is expected to rule on the case at a later date.
The trial is one of eight Yoon is currently involved in after he was ousted in 2025 following his brief declaration of martial law, which sent shock waves through a country long viewed as one of Asia’s most resilient democracies.
Prosecutors alleged the drone operation heightened military tensions with North Korea and, after a drone crashed, risked exposing sensitive military information related to the mission and South Korea’s capabilities.
Yoon denied the charges against him, saying he had not taken any action that could trigger a military clash with North Korea, according to his lawyers.
The former president was indicted in November 2025 on charges that included benefitting the enemy, which can apply even without direct collusion with an enemy if South Korea’s military interests are harmed or an adversary is aided.
Yoon was sentenced to life imprisonment in February after being found guilty of masterminding an insurrection linked to his botched attempt to impose martial law. REUTERS
