Latest news with #DroneOperationsCommand
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Yoon may have ordered drone incursion into North: local reports
Special counsel set to summon South's drone operations chief over alleged provocation plot to justify Yoon's martial law South Korea's special prosecutor investigating former President Yoon Suk Yeol's imposition of martial law is looking into the possibility that Yoon may have ordered a covert drone incursion into North Korea to provoke a military response, multiple local media outlets reported Wednesday, citing unnamed sources. According to the reports, the investigation team has obtained an audio recording that may be related to the suspected drone operation. While the contents are not considered direct evidence of Yoon's involvement, they are said to contain remarks suggesting that a mission was carried out at the instructions of someone referred to as 'V' — a designation often used within the military to signify the president. In the recording -- or recordings, as the number remains unclear -- an unidentified active-duty officer is heard saying that Lt. Gen. Kim Yong-dae, commander of the military's Drone Operations Command, had described the mission as 'an order from V' and was preparing to report to 'Yongsan' on a separate drone incursion plan. Yongsan houses the presidential office, along with key military institutions including the Defense Ministry and the Office of National Security. In October last year, North Korea accused the South of sending a drone into Pyongyang and released photographs as evidence. South Korean authorities at the time denied any involvement. The drone incident has gained renewed focus and scrutiny amid the backlash following Yoon's short-lived martial rule in December, with opposition politicians suggesting he may have tried to engineer an armed clash with the North to justify the emergency measure. Yoon was impeached by the opposition-controlled National Assembly that same month and formally removed from office by the Constitutional Court on April 4. Other comments allegedly captured in audio and reported by local media on Wednesday include remarks that the operation 'had to be carried out without the knowledge of the Defense Ministry or the Joint Chiefs of Staff,' and that 'leaflets had to be dropped' and the drone needed to be exposed on purpose to heighten North Korea's sense of insecurity. They also purportedly include, 'The VIP and the minister applauded with joy' after the mission, and remarks that the unit was subsequently instructed to repeat the operation and a second drone incursion took place in November. The special prosecutor is expected to summon Lt. Gen. Kim for questioning. His unit is also under investigation for allegedly establishing internal protocols to destroy documents and delete drone-related data after the martial law declaration.
Korea Herald
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Civilian control of military emerges as key focus of Lee Jae-myung campaign
The Lee Jae-myung campaign is pledging to reinforce civilian control of the military as a way to prevent members of the armed forces from getting involved in an event like President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law imposition on Dec. 3, 2024. The Lee campaign said Tuesday that subordinating the military to the authority of a civilian leader could put greater checks and balances on the military, with some former generals backing the Democratic Party of Korea candidate to "build back the military." In a meeting of the Lee campaign's defense committee on Tuesday, retired Maj. Gen. Lee Bo-hyung, who was the commander of the Drone Operations Command established under Yoon, said a new leadership was necessary to "restore the people's trust in the military." "The last president, and the commander-in-chief of our armed forces, attempted to overthrow the decadeslong principle of the military serving the people, not the other way around," the former Drone Operations Command chief said. The argument builds on Lee's remarks made Monday after a meeting with university students, saying that it was "time South Korea has a defense minister who is a civilian." Those in the Lee campaign shaping the Democratic Party presidential candidate's defense and security policies, such as Rep. Ahn Gyu-back, have said one of the key steps in reforming the country's military included ensuring civilian control of the military. The next defense minister should be someone who has not been in military service, Ahn, who served all of his five terms in the National Assembly's national defense committee, told The Korea Herald. For a long time, South Korean defense ministers had served in the military, including Kim Yong-hyun, who resigned after admitting his involvement in Yoon's botched martial law attempt. Lee, advocating for civilian leadership in the Defense Ministry, invited some pushback from the People Power Party. Rep. Sung Il-jong, the chair of the National Assembly's defense committee, argued that a civilian would not be as well equipped to oversee and decide military affairs as someone who has served in it. Rep. Boo Seung-chan, who submitted a bill requiring defense ministers to have been retired from duty for at least 10 years, hit back at the notion saying, "the first step to keeping the military under civilian control is to have civilian leadership in the defense ministry."
