Drone Commander Kim Yong-dae Arrested Amid Ongoing Coup Investigation
On July 20, 2025, the Special Investigation Team led by Jo Eun-seok filed for an arrest warrant against Kim Yong-dae, the commander of the drone operations, as part of an investigation into coup and foreign exchange allegations involving former President Yoon Suk-yeol. The team had previously detained Kim on the night of July 18.
In a press release, the Special Investigation Team stated that they filed the warrant at 2 PM, citing reasons for securing Kim's custody, including the creation of false documents. However, the ongoing foreign exchange-related allegations were not included in the warrant request.
The emergency arrest of Kim followed a search of his residence on July 14, during which investigators discovered a letter he had written, suggesting concerns about his potential detention.
The investigation is focused on suspicions that former President Yoon sought to justify the declaration of a state of emergency by directly ordering the drone command to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles into Pyongyang, bypassing the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff last October.
After summoning Kim for questioning on July 17, the Special Investigation Team had planned a second round of questioning, but this has now been postponed due to the warrant request.
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