Seoul, South Korea — South Korean prosecutors on Friday requested a 30-year prison sentence for the ousted president yoon suk yeol On allegations that he deliberately tried to increase tensions with North Korea by ordering drone flights over Pyongyang in 2024 as he tried to create appropriate conditions for it. martial law At home
Yoon is accused of benefiting an opponent and abusing his powers, one of a long list of indictments against the conservative former leader who briefly imposed martial law in South Korea in December 2024.
The request came in the closing stages of a trial in Seoul Central District Court, where a team of investigators led by special prosecutor Cho Eun-suk said Yoon and his top defense officials were responsible for alleged drone intrusions into North Korea, nearly two months after he imposed martial law, portraying the moderates as North Korea-sympathetic, “anti-state” forces.
Lawyers for Yoon, who has denied the charges, did not immediately comment on prosecutors’ requested prison term.
In February, the court found Yoon guilty of the more serious rebellion charge and sentenced him to life in prison. That decision was appealed by both Yoon and prosecutors, who had sought the death penalty.
Cho’s team claimed in a statement Friday that Yoon tried to create a war-like situation between the Koreas by plotting authoritarian pressure to remove his political opponents and “establish a monopoly and expand his power.” Prosecutors are seeking a 25-year prison sentence for Yun’s former defense minister, Kim Yong-hyun, a key confidant who helped plan and mobilize the military for the martial law declaration.
North Korea accused Seoul flying drones To drop propaganda leaflets on its capital Pyongyang three times in October 2024. Kim initially gave vague denials, but Seoul’s Defense Ministry later said it could not confirm whether the claims were true. At that time tensions with North Korea increased rapidly.
Yun proceeded with his martial law declaration late at night on December 3, 2024, and gave a televised address in which he criticized the liberals on a number of issues, but primarily over impeaching their top officials and cutting his government’s budget bill.
The decree lasted approximately six hours Until a group of lawmakers broke through the blockade of heavily armed soldiers and police deployed by Yun to the National Assembly. After this they voted turn it upside down, Forced his cabinet to take this step.
Yoon was suspended from office on December 14, 2024, after being impeached by the liberal-led legislature. formally removed by the Constitutional Court in April 2025. He was arrested in July that year and has since been undergoing various criminal trials.
Although brief, Yun’s martial law decree plunged the country into a serious political crisis, paralyzing politics and high-level diplomacy and spooking financial markets. The turmoil subsided only after his liberal rival lee jae myung Won the preliminary presidential election in June last year.
Shortly after taking office, Lee approved legislation that launched independent investigation Yoon’s martial law stunt and other criminal charges involving him, his wife and associates.
