South Korean President’s Alleged Direct Order Behind Drone Infiltration into North Korea

Rep. Boo Seung Chan’s office revealed on Tuesday that they received information claiming the infiltration of a South Korean drone into Pyongyang, North Korea, President Yoon Suk Yeol directly ordered last October. Boo is a member of the Democratic Party’s “Yoon Suk Yeol Insurrection Investigation Team.”

A spokesperson for Rep. Boo told Yonhap News that they received reports alleging Yoon bypassed the Ministry of Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), instead using the National Security Office to directly order the Drone Command to prepare for the Pyongyang drone deployment.

The spokesperson added that they obtained testimony from military officials stating Drone Operations Commander Kim Yong Dae referred to it as a “V (meaning President) directive” and that the National Security Office issued orders for the drone infiltration operation.

The Democratic Party’s investigation team had previously claimed in a press release on November 31 that they confirmed the National Security Office directed the drone unit to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles. They have now specified this was a direct order from Yoon.

The investigation team believes the military began preparing for drone infiltration operations in June in response to North Korea’s ballon launch on May 28.

Boo’s office alleges that former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who was then head of the Presidential Security Service, initially mobilized the drone unit through the National Security Office. He reportedly became more directly involved in the drone infiltration operations after he was appointed Defense Minister in September.