Special counsel looks into ties between covert operation in Mongolia, 2024 martial law

Korea Herald

23-07-2025

South Korea's 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 shortly before former President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law.
The special counsel suspects that the operation was designed to provoke North Korea or to open a line of communication that could serve as justification for Yoon to declare martial law.
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 Gen. Moon Sang-ho traveled to Mongolia to request their release. Moon was suspended in December over his alleged involvement in the martial law plan.
The KDIC has long been linked to the broader martial law scheme. However, no concrete evidence has been found to prove its direct involvement, apart from its ties to Noh Sang-won, who was arrested in December on charges of orchestrating the 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' and 'waste balloon,' which investigators believe suggest attempts to fabricate a security crisis in the lead-up to 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 93 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 a similar effort to provoke the North: a drone mission carried out by the military in early October 2024.
Testimony obtained by the special counsel 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 and regions north of the East Sea's Northern Limit Line.
Military personnel testified that the drone flights took place on Oct. 3, 9 and 10. On Oct. 11, North Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a statement claiming that South Korean drones had flown over Pyongyang and dropped anti-regime leaflets.
The special counsel later sought an arrest warrant for former Drone Operations Commander Kim Yong-dae on charges 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.