{
  "id": 14885096,
  "title": "Special counsel seeks 30-yr term for ex-president over NK drone incursion",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/special-counsel-seeks-30-yr-term-for-ex-president-over-nk-drone",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-16T06:22:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/law-crime/20261016/special-counsel-seeks-30-yr-term-for-ex-president-over-nk-drone-incursion"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A special counsel team has requested a 30-year prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, along with other high-ranking officials, in an appeals trial concerning allegations of drone incursions into North Korea. The team, led by special counsel Cho Eun-suk, is also seeking a 30-year term for former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun on charges of aiding the enemy and abusing power. Additionally, the team demands 20 years for former Drone Operations Command head Yeo In-hyung and 5 years for Kim Yong-dae, the ex-head of the Drone Operations Command. Yoon was initially convicted in June and sentenced to 30 years in prison for ordering drone flights towards Pyongyang in October 2024, aiming to provoke a conflict that could justify martial law declaration in December of the same year.",
  "summary": "A special counsel team on Friday demanded a 30-year prison term for former President Yoon Suk Yeol in his appeals trial over allegations that he ordered drone incursions into North Korea to provoke Pyongyang in an attempt to use potential North Korean provocations to justify his declaration of martial law. Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team also sought a 30-year prison term for former Defense…",
  "key_points": [
    "Special counsel seeks 30-year prison sentence for ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol",
    "Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun faces 30-year charge for aiding enemy",
    "Yeo In-hyung and Kim Yong-dae receive 20-year and 5-year sentences respectively"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The heavy prison sentences requested by the special counsel signal a rigorous judicial effort to hold top leadership accountable for using military assets to provoke domestic political instability.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "Special counsel seeks 30-yr term for ex-president over N.K. drone incursion",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/special-counsel-seeks-30-yr-term-for-ex-president-over-n-k-drone",
        "published": "2026-10-16T05:55:19.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Special counsel seeks 30-year term for ex-president over NK drone incursion",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/special-counsel-seeks-30-year-term-for-ex-president-over-nk-drone",
        "published": "2026-10-16T06:42:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}