Special Counsel Appeals First-Instance Verdicts for Former President Yoon Suk Yeol and 3 Others in 'Pyongyang Drone' Case

The special counsel team investigating the insurrection case has filed an appeal against the first-instance court rulings for four defendants, including former President Yoon Suk Yeol, regarding the "Pyongyang drone" allegations.

The special counsel team submitted the appeal to the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Agreement Division 36 (Presiding Judge Lee Jung-yeop), which presided over the case, on June 18.

It is reported that the team cited errors in fact-finding and misinterpretation of the law as grounds for the appeal regarding former President Yoon and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, both of whom were sentenced to 30 years in prison—a sentence equal to or exceeding the special counsel's original sentencing recommendation.

Former President Yoon and the others are accused of ordering the Drone Operations Command to infiltrate Pyongyang with drones in October 2024 to create conditions for declaring martial law (a charge of aiding the enemy).

Previously, the first-instance court found most of the charges to be guilty.

The court sentenced former President Yoon, who gave the final approval for the operation, and former Minister Kim, who led the planning and direction of the operation, to 30 years in prison.

In the case of former Minister Kim, the sentence was heavier than the 25-year prison term requested by the special counsel team.

Yeo In-hyung, former commander of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, who was briefed on the operation and advised on the timing of the martial law declaration, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, while Kim Yong-dae, former commander of the ROK Drone Operations Command, who directed the actual operation, received a three-year prison sentence suspended for five years.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.