Former President Yoon Sentenced to 30 Years for "Provoking North Korea to Justify Martial Law"

[Anchor]

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for ordering the infiltration of drones into Pyongyang. The court ruled that Yoon ordered the operation with the intention of creating a pretext for declaring martial law by escalating tensions with North Korea. The court further condemned the act, stating that it was an illegitimate military operation that compromised South Korea's military interests.

We begin with reporter Shin Yong-il.

[Reporter]

In October 2024, North Korea released photos of a drone that had crashed in Pyongyang, claiming it had been sent by the South.

[Korean Central Television (October 2024): We consider this a grave political and military provocation that necessitates retaliation in accordance with our right to self-defense. They are hastening their own destruction.]

At the time, former President Yoon dismissed the claim as a baseless assertion.

[Yoon Suk Yeol / Former President (November 2024, Press Conference): It is not even worth responding to such absurd, victim-blaming claims one by one.]

However, the special counsel investigating the insurrection charges concluded that there was sufficient evidence of criminal activity and indicted the former president on charges of aiding the enemy and abuse of power. The court handed down a 30-year prison sentence, matching the special counsel's recommendation.

Additionally, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who was indicted alongside the former president, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, while former Defense Security Support Command chief Yeo In-hyung received a 15-year sentence.

The court stated, "Former President Yoon ordered the drone infiltration operation into Pyongyang with the intent of provoking North Korea to create a justification for declaring martial law."

The court further pointed out that Yoon and his associates "decided to induce a military provocation, such as a localized conflict, by inciting North Korea," adding, "This cannot be viewed as a legitimate military operation, and it compromised the military interests of the Republic of Korea by exposing our military capabilities."

Former President Yoon's legal team protested the verdict and filed an appeal this afternoon.

With today's (June 12) ruling, the former president has become the only former head of state in constitutional history to be convicted of both insurrection and treason.

(Video reporting: Yang Hyun-chul, Video editing: Kim Ho-jin, Design: Kang Yoon-jung)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.