Ousted South Korean President Yoon given prison term for drone flights over Pyongyang

Ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol and his former defense minister were sentenced to 30 years for ordering drone flights over Pyongyang in 2024 that a court said were meant to provoke North Korea and justify martial law; the verdict is being appealed.
Yoon had already been sentenced to life for rebellion over a brief, six‑hour martial law declaration in December 2024 that was overturned by lawmakers; he was impeached, removed from office and later arrested.
The drone/leaflet episode sharply raised tensions but did not trigger military clashes, and Seoul and Pyongyang offer conflicting accounts — Yoon’s team says the flights responded to thousands of trash balloons from the North.