South Korean prosecutors seek 30-year prison term for Yoon

South Korean prosecutors have called for a 30-year prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, alleging he deliberately escalated tensions with North Korea to justify declaring martial law at home, a Seoul court heard Friday.

The request came during closing arguments in Yoon’s ongoing trial at the Seoul Central District Court. Prosecutors claim the conservative leader ordered drone flights over Pyongyang in October 2024, approximately two months before his controversial martial law declaration in December.

Special prosecutor Cho Eun-suk’s investigative team accused Yoon of attempting to “create a warlike situation between the Koreas” as part of a broader plan to eliminate political opponents and “monopolize and extend his power.” They claim Yoon portrayed liberal politicians as “North Korea-sympathizing, anti-state forces” to justify his actions.

Yoon’s legal team vehemently denied the allegations, stating the former president never ordered or retroactively approved drone flights over North Korea’s capital. His attorneys accused prosecutors of basing their case on “speculation and delusion” without substantial evidence.

The drone incident in question occurred when North Korea accused Seoul of flying unmanned aircraft over Pyongyang three times in October 2024, allegedly to drop propaganda leaflets. Initially, Yoon’s then-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun issued a vague denial, but the Defense Ministry later equivocated, stating it couldn’t confirm whether the allegations were true or false. The incident contributed to rapidly escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Prosecutors have also requested a 25-year prison sentence for Kim Yong Hyun, described as a key confidant who helped plan and execute the martial law declaration.

This trial represents just one component of Yoon’s legal troubles. In February, the court sentenced the former president to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of rebellion, a more serious charge. Both Yoon’s team and prosecutors have appealed that verdict, with prosecutors initially seeking the death penalty.

Yoon’s martial law decree, though lasting only about six hours on December 3, 2024, plunged South Korea into profound political turmoil. The crisis began when Yoon deployed heavily armed soldiers and police to blockade the National Assembly while delivering a televised address criticizing liberal lawmakers over various issues, particularly their impeachment of his officials and cuts to his government’s budget.

The declaration ended when lawmakers broke through the military blockade and voted to overturn the decree, forcing Yoon’s cabinet to lift the measure. The political fallout was swift and severe. Yoon was suspended from office on December 14, 2024, after being impeached by the liberal-controlled legislature, and was formally removed by the Constitutional Court in April 2025. His arrest followed in July of that year, and he has faced multiple criminal trials since then.

The brief but tumultuous martial law period severely disrupted South Korean politics and high-level diplomacy while sending shockwaves through financial markets. Political stability only began to return after liberal leader Lee Jae Myung won a special presidential election in June 2025.

Upon taking office, President Lee approved legislation establishing independent investigations into Yoon’s martial law declaration and other alleged criminal activities involving the former president, his wife, and associates.

The case has become a watershed moment in South Korean politics, highlighting tensions between the country’s democratic institutions and raising questions about civilian control of the military in the nation’s young democracy, which emerged from decades of military dictatorship in the late 1980s.