Overview

• USFK Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. David Iverson sent an Oct. 3 protest letter to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry alleging SOFA procedures were bypassed during the July 21 search.
• Assistant special counsel Park Ji-young said investigators entered with prior authorization, were escorted by South Korean troops under an MOU, and obtained documents via voluntary submission under a court warrant.
• The U.S. side contends prior coordination was required because the KAOC/MCRC includes shared access areas, while South Korea’s Foreign Ministry and USFK declined to provide further comment.
• The search targeted the South Korean Air Force’s Master Control and Reporting Center to check for coordination documents related to drone reconnaissance near Pyongyang in October and November 2024.
• The probe continues with former President Yoon Suk Yeol having appeared for questioning, and the special counsel says he will not be summoned again at this time.