Breaking: Former South Korean President Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison

• Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol sentenced to 30 years for military drone operation charges
• Court finds Yoon guilty of abuse of power linked to failed martial law declaration
• Yoon's legal team disputes allegations, plans to appeal latest conviction

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A South Korean court has sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison over charges linked to a military drone operation allegedly carried out before his failed martial law declaration in December 2024.

The ruling was delivered on Friday, June 12, by the Seoul Central District Court, which found the former leader guilty of abuse of power and aiding the enemy.

Drone operation at centre of case

According to the court, Yoon was involved in plans surrounding an October 2024 drone incursion into Pyongyang, an operation prosecutors argued was intended to create conditions that would justify the later declaration of martial law, CNN reported.

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The court held that the former president had conspired in the operation from its early stages, leading to his conviction.

Yoon, however, denied any wrongdoing throughout the trial.

Lawyers reject allegations

The former president’s legal team insisted that he neither ordered nor approved the drone mission.

His lawyers argued that the operation was unrelated to martial law and was instead a response to repeated cross-border actions by North Korea, including the launch of balloons carrying rubbish into South Korean territory.

The latest judgment adds to Yoon’s growing legal troubles following his removal from office after South Korea’s Constitutional Court upheld his impeachment.

Earlier this year, he was also handed a life sentence in a separate case linked to allegations that he led an insurrection connected to the martial law attempt.

Yoon remains in custody and is expected to challenge the latest ruling through the appeals process.

Former Philippine president arrested

Previously, Legit.ng reported that former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by police on March 11 after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity over his deadly "war on drugs."

The 79-year-old was taken into police custody shortly after his arrival at Manila airport from Hong Kong.