SEOUL
A South Korean court is scheduled to deliver its verdict this week on former President Yoon Suk Yeol regarding charges that he ordered military drone incursions into North Korea to create a pretext for his 2024 martial law declaration.
The Seoul Central District Court will hold the high-profile sentencing hearing on June 12. Yoon faces multiple serious charges, including benefiting the enemy and abuse of official authority. Prosecutors allege that Yoon ordered the South Korean military to fly drones over Pyongyang in October 2024, intentionally escalating regional conflict to justify the short-lived martial law decree he enacted on December 3, 2024. A special counsel team, led by Cho Eun-suk, has demanded a 30-year prison sentence for the former president.
Earlier in the investigation, Yoon underwent rigorous questioning by a special counsel team led by Kwon Chang-young in Gwacheon, where he reportedly denied the core allegations.
In addition to Yoon, the court is set to rule on several top military officials implicated in the operation. These include former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, former head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command Yeo In-hyung, and Maj. Gen. Kim Yong-dae, the former chief of the Drone Operations Command. Kim Yong-hyun, accused of directly leading the drone deployment, faces charges of abuse of authority and destruction of military installations.
The special counsel stated that the unauthorized drone operations severely heightened military tensions on the Korean Peninsula and compromised critical military secrets. The upcoming verdict follows a landmark ruling in February, where Yoon was sentenced to life in prison for his failed martial law bid.
