South Korea’s special counsel on Thursday summoned Drone Operations Command head Maj. Gen. Kim Yong-dae as part of its investigation into insurrection and treason charges against former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Led by Cho Eun-suk, the probe is examining whether Yoon ordered a drone operation into North Korea in October 2024 to create a pretext for declaring martial law in December last year.
The investigation into Kim reportedly stems from testimonies within the military that claim that Yoon gave him direct orders, bypassing the official chain of command that includes the Ministry of National Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff.
According to one transcript, Kim allegedly said, "The order came from V (referring to the president)," adding that "it must be carried out without informing the Defense Ministry or the Joint Chiefs of Staff."
The transcript also includes statements suggesting that the drone carried propaganda leaflets and intentionally crashed to provoke a response from North Korea.
Investigators are also looking into allegations that Kim met Yoon and then-Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun at the presidential office in September 2024, a month before the operation, to discuss the plan.
Arriving at the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office at around 10 a.m. Thursday, Kim defended the drone operation over Pyongyang, stating that he had reported it to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which, he argued, justified the legitimacy of the mission. However, he denied having received direct orders from Yoon regarding the mission.
Kim also avoided giving a direct answer when asked whether the October operation had been ordered by the Joint Chiefs of Staff or discussed with the former defense minister, saying he would "sincerely respond to the special counsel’s questions."
Meanwhile, the Joint Chiefs of Staff has declined to confirm its involvement.
When asked during a regular briefing on the same day whether the Joint Chiefs of Staff had been informed of the Pyongyang drone operation, JCS spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-joon said, "We cannot confirm. These matters should be clarified through the ongoing investigation."
In the afternoon, the special counsel also summoned Lt. Gen. Lee Seung-oh, chief director of operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to question whether the drone mission had been reported to the JCS and to clarify how the operation was carried out and to whom it was reported.
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