Yoon Suk Yeol Gets 30 Years for Drone Plot, Rebellion

Special prosecutor Cho Eun-suk had sought a 30-year prison term for Yoon, accusing him of trying to create a warlike situation between the Koreas while plotting an authoritarian push to remove political opponents. Cho sought a 25-year term for Kim Yong Hyun, a key confidant who helped plan and mobilize forces for the martial law declaration.

Yoon announced martial law late on Dec. 3, 2024, in a televised address accusing liberal lawmakers of being North Korea-sympathizing "anti-state" forces. He cited the opposition's impeachments of senior officials and cuts to his government's budget. The decree lasted about six hours until lawmakers broke through a blockade of soldiers and police at the National Assembly and voted to overturn it, forcing Yoon's Cabinet to lift the measure.

Yoon was quickly suspended, impeached, and formally removed by the Constitutional Court. He was arrested in July 2025, and several criminal trials are ongoing. The rebellion conviction has been appealed by both Yoon and prosecutors, who had sought a death sentence.

The drone-related sentence adds a new layer to the legal saga. Appeals and further trials could keep political uncertainty elevated, though the immediate market reaction was muted with South Korean markets closed for a holiday.