The former chief of South Korea's Drone Operations Command was removed from office on Thursday for his role in the botched martial law imposition of late 2024. The defense ministry took this severe disciplinary action against Maj. Gen. Kim Yong-dae, who is accused of dispatching drones to North Korea in October 2024 on orders from former President Yoon Suk Yeol and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun.
On February 12, 2026, the South Korean defense ministry removed Maj. Gen. Kim Yong-dae, the former head of the Drone Operations Command, from office as a disciplinary measure linked to the failed martial law declaration in late 2024, according to military sources. Kim is suspected of dispatching drones toward North Korea in October 2024 on orders from former President Yoon Suk Yeol and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, without adhering to required reporting procedures.
A special counsel investigation concluded that the drone operation was intended to provoke retaliation from North Korea, providing a pretext for Yoon's martial law attempt two months later. The ministry described the action against Kim—a general-level officer indicted but not detained—as 'heavy' disciplinary punishment, without specifying the exact level.
Kim was indicted in November 2025 by the special counsel team on charges of obstructing official duties and soliciting the creation of false official documents. The same team also charged Yoon over the drone dispatch allegations. This case highlights ongoing scrutiny of military and political decisions in South Korea's security landscape.
