Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to over 30 years in prison for sending drones in North Korea in October of 2024. A South Korean court has found Yoon, his former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun, former head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command Yeo In-hyung and former head of Drone Operations Commands Kim Yong-dae guilty of using their position to rile Pyongyang into attacking South Korea, so Yoon could announce Martial law to supress dissent and protests against him.
“Balloon Warfare”
North Korea sent balloons filled with trash in South Korea in 2024, such balloon warfare has been a part of the two countries measure to send messages across the border post the Korean War.
Using the pretext of these very balloons, Yoon sent drones with Anti-North Korea pamphlets, thereby greatly increasing the changes of escalation by those in Pyongyang, putting entire nation in danger. Yoon’s lawyers argued that this military action was necessary to defend against the ‘rubbish balloons’ sent by North Korea.
Yoon then declared Martial law in December to take action against those who ‘sympathised with North Korea’, but it was clear that is was due to domestic pressure on him. The law was rolled back due to mass protests.
Yoon was declared guilty for abuse of power and for preventing his own arrest.
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