The Democratic Party of Korea on June 12 described the 30-year prison sentence handed to former President Yoon Suk Yeol for treason and abuse of power as "the right outcome." Yoon was accused of ordering a drone incursion into Pyongyang to create a pretext for declaring martial law during the December 3 incident.
Party spokesperson Kim Han-na stated in a written briefing, "The first trial sentencing for treason and other charges against defendant Yoon Suk Yeol is a stern judgment by the judiciary against a crime that used national security as a tool for extending power."
Kim emphasized that the ruling proved that Yoon's actions harmed South Korea's military interests and constituted a serious foreign exchange crime that benefited an enemy state.
She added, "National security belongs not to those in power but to the people," and pledged that the Democratic Party would steadfastly work to protect the constitutional order, the lives of citizens, and peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Kim Byung-joo, a member of the National Assembly and a former Army general, expressed on Facebook, "As someone who has dedicated my life to protecting South Korea's security, I believe that a 30-year sentence for Yoon is still too lenient."
He characterized the Pyongyang drone incident as more than just an abuse of command authority, stating, "It was an incident where the Commander-in-Chief directly induced provocations from North Korea to create a justification for declaring martial law."
He further asserted, "Today's ruling is just the beginning of accountability," insisting that there should be no leniency for those who sought to undermine the constitutional order and use citizens as pawns in a war.
Park Joo-min, another lawmaker, also took to Facebook to declare, "Yoon Suk Yeol is a traitor in South Korean history," asserting that the maximum possible sentence should be imposed on the remaining defendants in the insurrection case to prevent such individuals from rising again.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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