Home of ex-defense minister raided over Pyongyang drone allegations

A special counsel team investigating alleged insurrection raided the home of former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun on Monday as part of a probe into whether then-President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered an unauthorized drone mission over Pyongyang.

Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun answers questions from lawmakers during a National Defense Committee session at the National Assembly in western Seoul on Nov. 28, 2024. [YONHAP]

A special counsel team investigating alleged insurrection raided the home of former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun on Monday as part of a probe into whether then-President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered an unauthorized drone mission over Pyongyang.

The raid took place in Seoul’s Seodaemun District, led by Special Counsel Cho Eun-seok, according to legal sources. Kim, already in detention on insurrection-related charges, now faces additional allegations of treason and abuse of authority.

Unlike earlier searches by prosecutors and police in December that focused on insurrection, Monday’s raid centered on foreign aggression. Investigators seized mobile phones and hard drives that had been previously confiscated, as well as a feature phone that Kim’s family claimed they did not recognize.

"The family cannot recall when it was ever used," the lawyer said.

Police previously raided Kim’s official residence, office and home on Dec. 8, 2024, while prosecutors arrested him the same day and confiscated his mobile phone.

The special counsel is investigating whether the Drone Operations Command flew drones over the North Korean capital between October and November last year as part of efforts to justify martial law, which former President Yoon declared on Dec. 3 last year.

A central question is whether then-President Yoon, the commander in chief, ordered Kim to direct or execute the mission unlawfully.

Prosecutors are also examining whether commanders bypassed the military chain of command or violated the principle of proportionality in the operation. The team recently obtained testimony that Kim ordered drone deployment to proceed at altered locations despite opposition from the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

They also uncovered evidence that Kim, who held the position of presidential chief of security at the time and had no command authority, used a secure phone on June 16 last year to call then-Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, JCS Chairman Kim Myung-soo and Drone Operations Commander Kim Yong-dae in succession to discuss the drone mission.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY KIM BO-REUM [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]