In October of last year, following a North Korean drone incursion and statements from Kim Yo-jong, the Defense Intelligence Agency ordered the Intelligence Command and 777th Command to gather intel on North Korean civilian movements. This reportedly led to the Joint Chiefs of Staff launching an integrated intelligence operation, including Apache helicopter flights near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and at least five additional drone deployments.
Rep. Park Sun-won, the ruling party’s secretary on the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee, disclosed this information on Wednesday after a closed-door audit of the Defense Counterintelligence Command and Cyber Operations Command.
Park reported that Operations Chief Lee Seung-ho, after receiving intelligence about unrest among North Korean military authorities and civilians post-drone incursion, initiated an integrated intelligence operation. This involved Apache helicopters conducting close flights along the MDL and executing over five additional drone missions.
The operation reportedly involved key military figures, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff Operations Chief, Operations Planning Chief, Ground Operations Commander, and Special Operations Commander. The Intelligence Chief also recognized it as an official Joint Chiefs of Staff operation.
Park emphasized that this implicates all major operational headquarters, including the Joint Chiefs, in actions against North Korean provocations. However, he noted that the Intelligence Command claimed no prior knowledge of the drone operations, stating they were conducted by a unit directly under the Defense Ministry.
Park also revealed that on December 2, a day before the state of emergency declaration, the Intelligence Command briefed on its mission, presenting a 300-unit plan and Operation Alphabet. This reportedly resolved all suspicions regarding foreign exchange issues related to the movements of Pangyo and Seocho units.
Regarding the Defense Counterintelligence Command, Park stated that under former Commander Yeo In-hyung, 34 previously discontinued tasks were reinstated, expanding the agency’s proactive capabilities. He added that during joint U.S.-South Korea exercises, training for establishing joint investigation units under martial law was conducted for about three weeks, with additional training during the Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) also reportedly practiced personnel deployment to a joint investigation headquarters last August.
Park asserted that these revelations indicate potential involvement of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, Intelligence Command, and National Intelligence Service in internal disturbances and foreign exchange issues.
In a new development, Park disclosed that the head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command’s Scientific Investigation Center received a call from Chief Prosecutor Park Geon-young just before the Central Election Commission deployment, contradicting earlier reports about the sequence of communications.
Park also mentioned the existence of a task force within the Defense Counterintelligence Command focused on North Korean balloon operations, which shared intelligence with the Drone Operations Command.
Notably, the ruling party’s solo briefing after the Intelligence Committee’s audit is unusual. Park emphasized that the audit’s main focus was addressing internal disturbances, improving public welfare, and normalizing national affairs.
Opposition Intelligence Committee secretary Lee Seong-gwon left the briefing early, stating that matters related to martial law were not officially within the purview of the Defense Intelligence Command, Defense Counterintelligence Command, or Cyber Operations Command.