South Korean Court Denies Arrest for Drone Unit Head in High-Stakes Probe

A South Korean court has denied an arrest warrant for the head of a military drone unit amid investigations into former President Yoon Suk Yeol's drone activities in North Korea. The court cited the need to protect the suspect's right to defense. Allegations suggest the drones were used to justify Yoon’s martial law declaration.

A South Korean court has turned down a request from prosecutors to issue an arrest warrant for the head of a military drone unit in relation to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's drone operations in North Korea. The court's decision was reported by Yonhap news agency on Monday.

The Seoul Central District Court stated that proceeding with the arrest would unduly infringe on the suspect's right to defense. Despite prosecutors' efforts on Sunday to detain unit chief Kim Yong-dae after charging the ex-President Yoon with new allegations, the request was dismissed.

Authorities claim Kim participated in covert operations to escalate tensions with North Korea, following President Yoon's martial law declaration attempt last December. Initially arrested without a warrant, Kim asserted that the operations aimed to counter actions from North Korea rather than provoke them.

(With inputs from agencies.)