South Korea prosecutors seek 30-year jail term for ex-President Yoon in drone case

WorldPolitics
24 Apr 2026 • 3:31 PM MYT
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Image from: South Korea prosecutors seek 30-year jail term for ex-President Yoon in drone case

Prosecutors in South Korea are seeking a 30-year prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol over allegations he ordered a drone operation.

SEOUL: South Korean prosecutors sought a 30-year jail term for ⁠former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday, in a case alleging he ​ordered a drone operation over Pyongyang to ‌help create a pretext ​for his December 2024 declaration of martial law, 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 ​last year following his brief declaration of martial law, which sent shockwaves through a country long viewed as one of Asia’s most resilient democracies.

Prosecutors allege ‌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 last year on charges that ‌included ​benefiting 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.