The special investigation team, led by special prosecutor Jo Eun Seok, probing the insurrection and foreign exchange incidents related to the emergency martial law declaration on December 3, 2024, has reportedly imposed a travel ban on Major General Kim Yong Dae, commander of the Republic of Korea’s Drone Operations Command.
Sources confirmed to News1 on Tuesday that the special investigation team recently issued the travel restriction on Maj. Gen. Kim. The team has also been executing a search and seizure operation at the Drone Operations Command headquarters for the second straight day.
According to inside sources, the special investigation team’s search warrant names former President Yoon Suk Yeol, former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, and Maj. Gen. Kim Yong Dae is a suspect in the case.
Investigators believe these individuals colluded to escalate the risk of armed conflict between North and South Korea, compromising national security by potentially exposing classified military intelligence, including drone operations data, to North Korean forces.
The team is also examining allegations that former President Yoon overstepped his authority by ordering drone deployments over Pyongyang last October without United Nations Command approval, potentially forcing military personnel to act beyond their mandated duties.
It has been reported that a special investigation team obtained audio recordings from an active-duty officer claiming that Maj. Gen. Kim stated the orders came directly from “V” (a reference to the former President Yoon). This evidence was reportedly used to question former President Yoon during his interrogation on July 5.
The recordings allegedly contain statements suggesting that V was pleased with North Korea’s hostile reaction to the drone operations and that additional drones were deployed in November.
Earlier, Representative Boo Seung Chan of the Democratic Party of Korea alleged that Maj. Gen. Kim had visited the Office of National Security, claiming the Drone Operations Command received direct orders from the presidential office to deploy drones over Pyongyang, bypassing the standard military chain of command through the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.