Key facts
- Special counsel seeks 30-year prison term for ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol.
- Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun faces a requested 30-year term.
- Yoon was convicted in June for ordering drone incursions in October 2024.
- The defendants are accused of provoking a military clash to justify martial law.
A special counsel team on Friday requested a 30-year prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol in his appeals trial concerning allegations of ordering drone incursions into North Korea. The prosecution argued that these actions were intended to provoke a military clash, providing a pretext for Yoon to declare martial law in December 2024.
In the same appeals trial at the Seoul High Court, the special counsel team also sought 30-year prison terms for former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, and 20-year and five-year terms for former military officials Yeo In-hyung and Kim Yong-dae, respectively, on charges including benefiting the enemy and abuse of power.
Previously, Yoon was sentenced to 30 years in prison by a lower court in June for the alleged drone operations in October 2024. Former Defense Minister Kim also received a 30-year sentence, while Yeo was given 15 years and Kim Yong-dae received a suspended three-year term.