In connection with the so-called "Pyongyang drone operation" allegation—that drones were sent to Pyongyang, North Korea, to provoke an attack on the South as a pretext for declaring martial law—the special counsel on insurrection sought a 20-year prison term for former Defense Counterintelligence Command chief Yeo In-hyeong. For former Drone Operations Command chief Kim Yong-dae, who carried out the drone operation, the special counsel sought a five-year prison term.
The Criminal Division 36 of the Seoul Central District Court (presiding judge Lee Jeong-yeop, Director General judge) on the 10th held a closing hearing for former commander Yeo, indicted on charges including aiding the enemy and abuse of authority to interfere with the exercise of rights, and for former commander Kim, who was brought to trial on charges including incitement to destroy military property, divulging military secrets, and issuing false orders.
The special counsel on this day asked the court to sentence former commander Yeo to 20 years in prison and former commander Kim to five years in prison. The special counsel contends the two carried out the drone incursion with the aim of creating conditions to declare martial law, going beyond a mere military operation.
The case gathered momentum last November when the special counsel on insurrection indicted former President Yoon Suk-yeol and former Minister of the Ministry of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun, as well as former commander Yeo, on charges including aiding the enemy, and separately indicted former commander Kim on charges including incitement to destroy military property. The special counsel believes senior leadership, including the former president, ordered the Pyongyang drone incursion to create a pretext for martial law, and that the process even posed an actual military risk.
In particular, the special counsel views the drone incursion as a plan to induce a military response from North Korea and steer the domestic political and security situation in a direction favorable to declaring martial law. Given that circumstances suggest a drone even crashed in Pyongyang, the special counsel's position is that it cannot be seen as a mere reconnaissance or psychological operations mission.