South Korea’s ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for sending military drones into North Korea, a move prosecutors argued was aimed at creating a pretext for his disastrous martial law declaration in 2024.

The drone flights, which Pyongyang said included the dropping of propaganda leaflets, triggered a spike in military tensions between the nations in October 2024.

Special prosecutors, who had sought a 30-year prison term for Yoon, said in April that the ex-leader’s effort to “fabricate wartime conditions” with the drones had undermined state security.

Yoon was “given 30 years in jail” for the charges involving the drones, a spokesperson for the Seoul Central District Court told the AFP news agency on Friday, without giving further details.

Yoon had denied wrongdoing.

The ruling adds to a series of judgements against the ousted conservative leader, once South Korea’s top prosecutor, whose martial law order plunged Asia’s fourth-largest economy into its deepest political turmoil in decades.

In February, a South Korean court sentenced Yoon to life in prison after finding him guilty of leading an insurrection linked to the martial law attempt.

He was removed from office last year after the Constitutional Court upheld his impeachment, triggering a snap election that was won by liberal President Lee Jae Myung.

Yoon’s lawyers said he neither ordered nor later approved the drone operation, which they said was unrelated to martial law and instead a response to months of North Korean launches across the border of balloons stuffed with rubbish.

Yoon, who is already in custody, can appeal Friday’s lower court ruling. 

Drone flights remain a flashpoint in tensions between the two Koreas, which remain technically at war.

Lee expressed regret earlier this year after an investigation found government officials had sent drones into the nuclear-armed North Korea in January.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister called Lee’s statement “wise behaviour”, but hopes for a rapprochement faded after the diplomatically isolated nation returned to calling South Korea its “most hostile” enemy. (Al Jazeera)

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South Korea’s Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday, months after the ousted president’s declaration of martial law threw the country into chaos.

Yoon was not present in court to hear the verdict.

In a nationally televised unanimous verdict, the court’s acting chief Moon Hyung-bae said the eight-member bench upheld Yoon’s impeachment, finding that Yoon’s martial law declaration “violated” the constitution, did not not follow correct procedures and interfered with the independence of the judiciary.

The verdict also said Yoon violated his duty as commander-in-chief by mobilizing troops.

Yoon’s People Power Party said it accepted the court’s verdict.

“We extend our sincere apology to the people,” lawmaker Kwon Young-se said.

Jubilation and anger after verdict

Yoon supporters as well as pro-impeachment demonstrators camped outside the court overnight.

Ahead of the verdict, police raised the alert to the highest possible level, enabling the deployment of the entire force.

As the verdict was announced, thousands of supporters of his ouster erupted in cheers, with chants of “We won!” ringing out.

Meanwhile, Yoon’s supporters, gathered near his official residence, reacted with anger and dismay. According to Yonhap News Agency, one protester was arrested for breaking a police bus window.

Yoon Kap-keun, one of Yoon’s lawyers, labelled the ruling a “pure political decision.”

Why was the president arrested?

Yoon was arrested and charged by prosecutors in January over his December 3 decision to declare martial law and sending troops to parliament to prevent its repeal, a move that plunged the country into political turmoil.

South Korea’s opposition-led parliament subsequently voted to impeach Yoon in mid-December, leading to his suspension from office.

Following his impeachment, the 64-year-old resisted arrest for two weeks at his presidential compound in central Seoul.

Yoon has since defended the short-lived imposition of martial law as a “proclamation that the nation was facing an existential crisis.”

In March, Seoul’s Central District Court canceled Yoon’s arrest warrant, citing the timing of his indictment and “questions about the legality” of the investigation and freed him from prison.

What happens next?

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will continue to serve as acting president until the new president is inaugurated.

South Korea must now elect a new president within the next 60 days.

Meanwhile, Yoon is also facing a parallel criminal trial over insurrection charges related to the martial law declaration.

He is the first sitting South Korean president to stand trial in a criminal case. The case is expected to drag on well past his impeachment. (DW)

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South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is set to face a second impeachment motion in the National Assembly on Saturday, just a week after a previous attempt by the political opposition fell short.

The stakes are high following Yoon’s controversial declaration of martial law on December 3, which triggered nationwide protests and heightened uncertainty for Asia’s fourth-largest economy.

For the latest impeachment motion to succeed, it must secure at least 200 votes – a two-thirds majority – in South Korea’s 300-seat National Assembly.

The opposition bloc holds 192 seats, leaving it eight votes short of the number required.

However, in recent days, a small yet growing number of legislators from Yoon’s governing People Power Party have openly supported the motion, making impeachment increasingly more likely.

In a defiant televised address on Thursday, Yoon dismissed the idea of voluntary resignation, stressing, “Whether they impeach me or investigate me, I will stand firm.”

What happens if Yoon is impeached?

If the National Assembly passes the impeachment motion, a series of legal and constitutional processes will unfold, starting with the official delivery of the impeachment resolution from the National Assembly to the President’s Office and the Constitutional Court.

From that moment, Yoon’s presidential powers will be suspended. He will still retain the title and some privileges associated with the presidency, including the presidential residence, and continued security protection.

During this period, South Korea’s prime minister will assume the role of acting president under Article 71 of the Constitution. (Al Jazeera)

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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has pledged continued cooperation with Sri Lanka in a letter addressed to President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

In a significant diplomatic exchange, President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed his deep appreciation for the recent fruitful discussions held with President Wickremesinghe. 

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), their meeting took place in September, in conjunction with the High-level Meetings of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Lauding the meeting as a vital step in fortifying the bilateral relations between the two nations, President Yoon Suk Yeol said following his return to Korea, he promptly issued directives to relevant ministries for the execution of major cooperation projects that were deliberated during the meeting. 

These initiatives encompass the development of programs aimed at generating employment opportunities for young people, the reinforcement of employment cooperation and the signing of the Agreement of Cooperation on Climate Change. 

Furthermore, South Korea has also decided to enhance its trade and investment collaboration through the Trade and Investment Promotion Framework (TIPF), the South Korean President said in his letter. 

Of particular note was President Wickremesinghe’s assertion on the importance of strengthening bilateral relations at a time when the Republic of Korea is expanding its involvement in the Indo-Pacific region.

President Yoon Suk Yeol further pledged to continue his efforts in fostering these vital ties and expressed eagerness to meet with President Wickremesinghe once again in the near future.

The South Korean President also extended his warmest wishes for President Wickremesinghe’s continued good health, emphasizing the shared commitment to furthering the bonds of friendship and cooperation between their countries. (NewsWire)

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