South Korea’s Ex-President Yoon Under Fire Over Alleged Drone Missions to Provoke Crisis

Hadisur Rahman, Jadetimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Asia

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Image Source: EPA

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is facing mounting legal and political scrutiny following the emergence of a secret recording that allegedly implicates him in orchestrating drone incursions into North Korean airspace actions prosecutors believe were intended to provoke a military response from Pyongyang and justify his imposition of martial law in December 2024.

The audio files, reportedly obtained by special prosecutors, are now being viewed by observers as a potential “smoking gun” that could prove Yoon deliberately manufactured a national crisis to extend his presidency. Legal analysts suggest the recordings may support charges of insurrection and incitement to foreign aggression, both of which carry severe legal consequences.

“Yoon now faces allegations that, instead of fulfilling his duty to protect the people as commander-in-chief, he jeopardised their safety in an unlawful attempt to extend his rule,” said Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies.

Yoon declared martial law on December 3, 2024, citing vague threats from North Korea and internal “anti-state forces,” along with a legislative deadlock due to opposition control in the National Assembly. However, critics and constitutional experts have since questioned the necessity and legality of that action.

“If the North had responded militarily, it could have sparked armed conflict along the border and potentially escalated into an all-out war,” Yang warned.

Yoon’s administration had defended the move at the time as a necessary step to preserve national security and democratic stability. But these newly revealed recordings could contradict those claims, casting the declaration as a politically motivated power grab.

Reports from both the conservative Dong-A Ilbo and the progressive Kyunghyang Shinmun newspapers state that the special prosecutors have obtained a recording of senior military officers, including Drone Operations Commander Kim Yong-dae, allegedly stating that the missions were ordered by someone referred to as “V” widely believed to be shorthand for “President” Yoon Suk-yeol.

The drone flights reportedly took place over Pyongyang, with the intent to provoke a North Korean military reaction that could have escalated tensions and strengthened Yoon’s justification for emergency rule.

Yoon was questioned by the special prosecutor’s office in Seoul on June 28, appearing publicly for the first time since the scandal broke. Legal analysts say the investigation may take months, but the implications for South Korea’s democratic institutions and civil-military relations are already significant.

If found guilty of insurrection or abuse of power, Yoon could face criminal prosecution and possible imprisonment a stunning fall from grace for the former president and former prosecutor general who rose to office promising transparency and national unity.

This case also raises profound questions about executive overreach, political manipulation of national security, and the delicate balance between leadership and legality in democratic governance.