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South Korean Defense Ministry Moves to Discipline Four Generals Over 2024 Drone Operation

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  • Maj. Gen. Kim Yong-dae, the former head of the Drone Operations Command, appears for questioning by a special counsel team at the Seoul High Prosecutors Office in southern Seoul on Sept. 18, 2025. (Yonhap)
    Image: Yonhap
    Maj. Gen. Kim Yong-dae, the former head of the Drone Operations Command, appears for questioning by a special counsel team at the Seoul High Prosecutors Office in southern Seoul on Sept. 18, 2025. (Yonhap) Source Full size

Disciplinary Committee Set for Thursday Review The Defense Ministry announced it will convene a disciplinary committee on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, to consider sanctions against four senior officers linked to former President Yoon Suk‑yeol’s aborted 2024 martial‑law effort [1]. Officials said the committee will evaluate evidence gathered by prosecutors and the special counsel [1]. The move follows months of investigation into a covert drone operation aimed at North Korea [1].

Maj. Gen. Kim Yong‑dae Charged for Executing October Drone Orders Former head of the Drone Operations Command, Maj. Gen. Kim Yong‑dae, was indicted for carrying out directives to launch unmanned aircraft toward North Korea in October 2024 [1]. Prosecutors allege the orders came from Defense Minister Kim Yong‑hyun, who served during Yoon’s martial‑law push [1]. Kim appeared before a special counsel team at the Seoul High Prosecutors Office on Sept. 18, 2025, where he was questioned about the mission [1].

Lt. Gen. Lee Seung‑oh Implicated as Mission Coordinator Lt. Gen. Lee Seung‑oh, former chief director of operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is believed to have coordinated the cross‑border drone sortie while serving in that role [1]. Investigators link Lee to the planning and timing of the flights, suggesting he acted as the operational bridge between the defense ministry and the drone unit [1]. His involvement ties the Joint Chiefs directly to the controversial operation [1].

Prosecutors Say Drone Flights Intended to Provoke North Korea The drone command allegedly crossed the border with unmanned aircraft to create a pretext for Yoon’s planned martial‑law declaration [1]. Authorities contend the provocation was designed to justify a hard‑line response against the North and consolidate domestic power [1]. The investigation highlights the chain of command from the defense minister down to the drone operators, underscoring the political dimensions of the mission [1].

Sources

Timeline

Oct 2024 – The Drone Operations Command launches unmanned aircraft toward Pyongyang, crossing the border to provoke a North Korean response that could serve as a pretext for a martial‑law declaration two months later [2].

Dec 2024 – President Yoon Suk‑yeol announces a martial‑law declaration, a move prosecutors later tie to the October drone operation as the intended trigger for emergency powers [1].

Jan 2025 – Yoon faces his first arrest on insurrection charges related to the failed martial‑law bid; he is released in March after the charge is dropped [4].

July 2025 – Yoon is arrested again, this time on martial‑law‑related charges including alleged cabinet‑meeting irregularities and obstruction of investigators [4].

Sept 18, 2025 – Former Drone Operations Command head Maj. Gen. Kim Yong‑dae appears before a special‑counsel team at the Seoul High Prosecutors Office to answer questions about the October drone orders [1].

Dec 10, 2025 – The Defense Ministry dismisses Kim Yong‑dae, the former drone‑command chief, after his indictment for obstructing official duties and soliciting false documents tied to the drone‑provocation scheme [9].

Dec 22‑23, 2025 – The Seoul Central District Court holds a closed‑door hearing on whether to extend Yoon’s pre‑trial detention beyond Jan 18, 2026, while special counsel Cho Eun‑suk seeks an extension and has indicted Yoon for aiding the enemy through the drone operation [8][7].

Dec 23, 2025 – At the arrest‑extension hearing, Yoon denies ordering any drone strike, stating, “There were no reports of any drone operation or strike that could have occurred without my knowledge,” and cites a 10‑minute November call with then‑President‑elect Donald Trump as evidence of his strategic patience on North‑Korean provocations [6].

Dec 24, 2025 – The court extends the custody of ex‑Defense Minister Kim Yong‑hyun and former Defense Counterintelligence chief Yeo In‑hyung, charging them with aiding the enemy and power abuse for ordering the October drone deployment [5].

Jan 2, 2026 – The Seoul Central District Court extends Yoon’s detention for up to six more months, citing a risk of evidence destruction in the ongoing drone‑operation probe [4].

Jan 12, 2026 – The first closed‑door hearing in Yoon’s trial takes place; Yoon, former Defense Minister Kim Yong‑hyun and Yeo In‑hyung are charged with aiding the enemy, and the bench announces it will decide per session whether proceedings remain secret due to state‑secret concerns [2].

Jan 16, 2026 – A verdict on Yoon’s obstruction‑of‑justice charge is scheduled, separate from the ongoing martial‑law insurrection trial [4].

Feb 5, 2026 – The Defense Ministry convenes a disciplinary committee to consider sanctions against four senior generals—Maj. Gen. Kim Yong‑dae, Lt. Gen. Lee Seung‑oh, and two others—over their roles in the October 2024 drone operation linked to the martial‑law attempt [1].

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