On Thursday, Commander Kim Yong Dae of the Drone Operations Command appeared at the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office as a suspect for questioning by the special investigation team, led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eun Seok. The team is probing the insurrection and treason cases related to the 2024 South Korean Martial Law Crisis.
Commander Kim is accused of involvement in North Korea’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) infiltration operation.
He arrived at the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, at approximately 9:34 AM.
Addressing reporters, Commander Kim stated that every action he has taken has been for the nation and its citizens, and that he has never sought personal gain. He further noted that it’s disheartening to face a special prosecutor’s investigation regarding military operations.
He pledged to differentiate between facts and misconceptions clearly.
When questioned about allegations of meeting with former President Yoon Suk Yeol and ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun last September, he firmly denied them. He explained that the alleged claims are entirely false, suggesting that he has evidence to support his statement. He insisted that the assertion that it was an order from V is completely untrue, nor did he receive any direct orders.
Responding to a query about reporting to Lee Seung Oh, the Director of Operations for the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, he tersely replied that any military personnel would understand him.
When asked if it was unusual for commanders to issue direct orders, he countered that it could be unusual only when it falls outside his command authority.
The attorney accompanying Commander Kim insisted on video recording the interrogation, as guaranteed by criminal procedure law and human rights guidelines established by the National Police Agency and the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.”
He continued by stating that he intends to address several critical issues, including whether the area north of the Military Demarcation Line can be considered a state, North Korea’s status as a foreign entity, an enemy state, or an anti-social organization, and the scope of the President’s peacetime operational control over military operations. He further stated that he aims to clarify various aspects of the state’s constitutional right to self-defense and rectify any misunderstandings that may have arisen during the discussion.
The special investigation team suspects that former President Yoon Suk Yeol deployed UAVs to North Korea to provoke attacks on South Korea, thereby creating a pretext for declaring emergency martial law.
Since Monday, the team has conducted searches and seizures at numerous military-related sites, including the Drone Operations Command.
The search warrant reportedly cites abuse of authority and conspiracy to commit treason, naming former President Yoon, ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, and Commander Kim as suspects.
Investigators believe these individuals conspired to escalate the risk of inter-Korean military conflict, jeopardizing national security. They also suspect the exposure of military secrets, including UAV intelligence, to North Korea, potentially harming South Korea’s interests.
The team is particularly focused on the possibility that former President Yoon directly ordered the UAV infiltration operation.
Investigators have questioned numerous military personnel, including researchers from the Agency for Defense Development’s Aircraft Technology Research Institute, who supplied UAVs to the Drone Operations Command.
The team has reportedly obtained recordings from active-duty officers suggesting that “It was an order from V (former President Yoon)” regarding the UAV infiltration into Pyongyang. This evidence was reportedly used to confront Yoon during his questioning on July 5.
The recordings allegedly include statements such as, “I heard V was pleased after North Korea’s hostile response to the UAVs,” and “Additional UAVs were deployed in November.”
While the special investigation team has questioned former President Yoon about these allegations, he has reportedly denied them.
On Tuesday, Yoon’s legal team announced that he consistently stated that the President is not usually briefed on UAV deployments in anticipation of North Korean retaliation when asked by the investigation team whether he sent drones in anticipation of North Korea’s retaliation.