An internal military investigation has confirmed that the Yoon Suk Yeol administration decided to resume the distribution of anti–North Korea leaflets more than a year before the declaration of martial law.

The office of Rep. Choo Mi-ae, who heads the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, said on Wednesday that the defense ministry had verified the matter after questioning those in the operational chain of command at the time, including personnel from the ministry’s Defense Psychological Operations Group and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

According to the findings, the decision to restart leaflet operations was made at a National Security Council(NSC) meeting in October 2023, after which the division carried out at least 23 leaflet launches targeting major North Korean cities and military facilities, including Pyongyang and Wonsan, between February and November of last year.

Though the group was accused of such behavior during the Yoon administration, Wednesday marked the first time a military probe has confirmed its occurrence.

The investigation found that the Yoon government decided on October 12, 2023, to resume leaflet distribution following deliberations by senior officials, including then-Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, then-Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho and then-National Intelligence Service Director Kim Kyou-hyun.