The statement confirmed the suspension of the head of the drone operations command in South Korea. This action follows suspicions that military drones were illegally sent into North Korea last year.
Plans to Impose Martial Law
The Ministry of Defence stated that Major General Kim Yong-dae, the unit commander, has been relieved of his duties following the suspension. It is noteworthy that in December of last year, former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was preparing to impose martial law in the country, although he was unsuccessful. This followed the drone incident months earlier.
Military Officer Currently in Detention
Kim is currently in detention facing multiple charges, including forgery of official documents. The investigation team suspects that Yoon directly ordered the drone commander to send drones into North Korea in October last year without informing the Ministry of Defence or the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The aim was allegedly to provoke a military response from North Korea to justify the imposition of martial law. However, Kim denies any wrongdoing. He refutes any connection between sending drones to North Korea and Yoon’s martial law declaration.
Furthermore, he argues that the drone deployment was legally conducted under the orders of the JCS as a retaliatory measure against North Korean operations against the South.
