The Department of Defense has confirmed that it acknowledged charges of general treason against former Defense Security Commander Yeo In-hyung during a disciplinary review.
On Thursday, the office of Democratic Party Rep. Choo Mi-ae, a member of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, obtained the disciplinary decision regarding the former commander. The Defense Ministry’s military disciplinary committee determined that Yeo had conspired with former President Yoon Suk Yeol and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun to plan a Pyongyang drone infiltration operation.
According to the committee, the operation began at 0200 hours on October 3, 2024, with two drones launching from Baengnyeong Island. By November 19 of the same year, a total of 18 drones had conducted 11 missions, dispersing leaflets over North Korean cities including Pyongyang, Wonsan, Kaesong, and Nampo.
The operation was ostensibly a response to North Korea’s balloon propaganda campaigns. It was directed through then-Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Kim Myung-soo and then-JCS Operations Director Lee Seung-oh to the Drone Operations Command. The mission was known only to a select few and was not disclosed to frontline units, U.S. forces, or the United Nations Command.
The disciplinary committee assessed that this operation could provoke North Korea into military action or equivalent provocations against South Korean forces and civilians. They believed it was designed to justify declaring a state of emergency.
The committee also found that the operation produced and distributed leaflets via drones that could damage the reputation of North Korea’s top leadership, including Kim Jong Un, constituting a psychological warfare campaign targeting key areas such as Pyongyang.
It was revealed that former JCS Chairman Kim Myung-soo refused to continue the operation after realizing it was not a genuine response to North Korean provocations. This realization came when drone operation orders were issued between October 24 and November 17, 2024, a period without any North Korean balloon activity.
The committee stated that the operation risked significant casualties and property damage from potential North Korean retaliatory strikes. They added that the forces would have been unable to respond promptly to a North Korean attack, as frontline units were not informed of the operation.
The committee substantiated the allegations of general treason and other misconduct based on evidence including Yeo’s smartphone notes, interrogation records, military prosecutor investigations, and the special prosecutor’s indictment. Consequently, the Defense Ministry dismissed Yeo on April 29.
Former Commander Yeo, ex-President Yoon, and former Minister Kim currently face charges of general treason from the Special Prosecutor for Insurrection. However, the court has yet to deliver a verdict on these cases.
The disciplinary decision emphasized that disciplinary actions are distinct from criminal proceedings. Therefore, it can convene a disciplinary committee even before the finalization of trial results. The committee stated it focused on the indictment and corroborating evidence to substantiate the allegations.