S. Korean court sentences 30-year prison term for ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol on general treason

SEOUL, June 12 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's former President Yoon Suk-yeol was sentenced to 30 years in prison over general treason linked to the infiltration of drones into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), according to Yonhap news agency on Friday.

The Seoul Central District Court handed down the prison sentence to Yoon on charges of general treason, referring to the crime of harming South Korea's military interests or benefiting the enemy.

The team of Cho Eun-suk, an independent counsel who led investigations into Yoon's insurrection and other charges, demanded a 30-year prison term for Yoon.

Yoon was accused of ordering the drone infiltration into Pyongyang around October 2024 with the intent of militarily provoking the DPRK in a bid to create a pretext for his martial law declaration in December of the same year.

The emergency martial law was declared by Yoon on the night of Dec. 3, 2024, but it was revoked hours later by the National Assembly.

He was indicted under detention in January 2025 as a suspected ringleader of the insurrection, becoming the first sitting president to be arrested and indicted.