A special counsel is investigating a covert operation conducted by the military in Mongolia in November, in which two intelligence officers allegedly attempted to contact North Korean officials, as part of its probe into former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Investigators suspect that the operation was designed to provoke North Korea or to open a line of communication that could serve as justification for Yoon's declaration of martial law on Dec. 3 of last year.
The special council has also underscored the importance of the ongoing probe into military authorities.
"Not investigating cases involving suspicions of treason would be a dereliction of duty,” assistant special counsel Park Ji-young said during a briefing Wednesday afternoon.
According to local daily Hankyoreh on Wednesday, two Korea Defense Intelligence Command officers — a lieutenant colonel and a major — were deployed to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, where they attempted to approach the North Korean Embassy through Mongolian officials. They had been tasked with gathering intelligence on North Korea, and their mission report reportedly listed the North Korean Embassy as a target.
The officers were detained by Mongolian intelligence authorities during the operation and were released after then-KDIC commander Major Gen. Moon Sang-ho traveled to Mongolia to request their release.
The KDIC has links to other aspects of the martial law attempt. Moon was suspended in December for dispatching KDIC personnel to the National Election Commission on the night of Dec. 3 to photograph the commission’s server room.
However, no concrete evidence has been found to prove the KDIC’s direct involvement in the overall planning of the martial law imposition, aside from its connection to former KDIC chief Noh Sang-won, who was arrested in December on charges related to orchestrating Yoon's martial law plan.
Noh reportedly received a list of 46 intelligence officers from Gen. Moon in October 2024. A notebook seized from Noh contained phrases such as “induce the North’s attack at NLL (referring to the Northern Limit Line)” and “waste balloons,” which investigators believe suggest the KDIC’s involvement in fabricating a security crisis ahead of the Dec. 3 declaration.
If such intent from the KDIC is discovered through the special counsel investigation, officials responsible for the actions could be subject to charges of treason. Under Article 92 of the Criminal Act, treason refers to acts of colluding with foreign powers to initiate war or armed rebellion against the country.
As of press time, the Ministry of National Defense has not commented on the investigation. When reports about the Mongolia operation first surfaced in late 2024, the ministry denied any connection between the trip and preparations for martial law.
The investigation into the Mongolia operation is unfolding alongside suspicions of another attempt to provoke the North — a military drone mission carried out in early October 2024. The drone reportedly carried propaganda leaflets and was deliberately crashed to elicit a response from North Korea.
The special counsel said that it obtained testimony that indicates that former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun ordered the Drone Operations Command to fly an unmanned aircraft toward North Korea in October 2024.
According to transcripts, Joint Chiefs of Staff Operations Director Lt. Gen. Lee Seung-oh testified that Kim personally directed the missions, rerouting drones to areas such as Nampo, the North's South Pyongan Province, and regions north of the East Sea’s Northern Limit Line.
The special counsel later sought an arrest warrant for Drone Operations Commander Lt. Gen. Kim Yong-dae on suspicion of forging military documents to conceal the mission.
However, the court rejected the request on Monday, citing insufficient grounds for detention. The investigation team is reviewing the court’s decision and considering whether to refile the request.
BY Hwang Joo-young
flylikekite@heraldcorp.com

Published Date:2025-07-24