A South Korean court has sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison for his role in a military drone operation conducted over North Korea, marking another major development in the legal cases stemming from the country's political crisis in late 2024.

The Seoul Central District Court found Yoon guilty of aiding the enemy and abuse of power, ruling that he was involved in the planning and execution of an unmanned aerial operation carried out over Pyongyang.

According to the court, the drone mission was linked to efforts to create conditions that could justify Yoon's controversial declaration of martial law, a move that triggered one of South Korea's most serious political crises in recent years.

Prosecutors had sought a 30-year prison sentence in April, arguing that the operation posed significant risks to national security and regional stability.

The case centers on allegations that South Korean drones entered North Korean airspace in October 2024 and dropped propaganda leaflets over Pyongyang. At the time, North Korea accused Seoul of conducting multiple drone flights, while South Korean defense authorities neither fully confirmed nor denied the claims.

Although the incident heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, it did not escalate into direct military confrontation.

Former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who was also charged in connection with the operation, was found guilty and received a similar prison sentence.

Throughout the trial, Yoon denied wrongdoing. His legal team argued that he neither ordered nor approved the drone flights and maintained that any such operation would have been a legitimate security response to balloons sent across the border by North Korea.

The former president had previously been convicted of leading an insurrection in connection with the failed martial law declaration and was sentenced to life imprisonment earlier this year.

Following Yoon's removal from office, South Korea held an early presidential election, which was won by liberal candidate Lee Jae Myung.

Yoon, who remains in custody, is expected to appeal the latest ruling.

The case has drawn attention to the growing role of unmanned aerial systems in inter-Korean tensions and the political and security challenges associated with military drone operations on the Korean Peninsula.(ILKHA)