South Korean prosecutors are detaining the former defense chief for imposing martial law

SEOUL – South Korean prosecutors on Sunday detained an ex the defense minister which would have recommended last week’s short but stunning martial law imposition of the president Yoon Suk Yeolmaking him the first character detained in the case.

The development came a day later Yoon dodged an opposition-led attempt to impeach him in parliament, with most ruling party lawmakers boycotting a floor vote to prevent the two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. The main opposition Democratic Party said it would prepare a new impeachment motion against Yoon.

Former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun was arrested in a Seoul detention center on Sunday after being investigated by prosecutors, said a law enforcement official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under privacy rules. .

The official did not provide further details. But South Korean media reported that Kim voluntarily turned himself in at a prosecutor’s office in Seoul, where his cell phone was confiscated and he was detained. Reports say police raided Kim’s former office and residence on Sunday.

Repeated calls to prosecutors and the Seoul Police Agency went unanswered.

Chief Prosecutor Park Se-hyun said in a televised statement on Sunday that authorities have launched a 62-member special investigation team into the matrimonial law case. Park, who will lead the team, said the investigation “will leave no doubt.”

Yoon accepted Kim’s resignation offer on Thursday after opposition parties filed a separate impeachment motion against him.

Kim is a central figure in Yoon’s the application of martial law, which led to special forces troops surrounding the National Assembly building and army helicopters hovering above it. The military withdrew after parliament voted unanimously to overturn Yoon’s decree, forcing his cabinet to lift it before daylight on Wednesday.

In the document on Kim’s impeachment motion, the Democratic Party and other opposition parties accused him of proposing martial law to Yoon. Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho told parliament that Kim Yong Hyun ordered troops to be sent to the National Assembly.

The Democratic Party called Yoon’s imposition of martial law “unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or a coup d’état.” He filed police complaints against at least nine people, including Yoon and Kim, for alleged rebellion.

In a statement on Wednesday, Kim said that “all troops that performed martial law duties acted according to my instructions, and all responsibility rests with me.”

Attorney General Shim Woo Jung told reporters on Thursday that he plans to investigate charges of rebellion against Yoon following the complaints. While the president is largely immune from prosecution while in office, that does not extend to charges of rebellion or treason.

The Ministry of Defense said it had suspended three top military commanders over their alleged involvement in the imposition of martial law. They were among those who faced charges of rebellion leveled by the opposition.

On Saturday, Yoon apologized martial law decree, saying he would not shirk legal or political responsibility for the statement. He said he would leave it to his party to chart a course through the country’s political turmoil, “including matters related to my tenure.”

Since taking office in 2022 for a single five-year term, Yoon has struggled to push his agenda through an opposition-controlled parliament and faced low approval ratings amid scandals involving himself and his wife. In his martial law announcement on Tuesday night, Yoon called parliament a “bunch of criminals” blocking state business and vowed to eliminate “shameless North Korean followers and anti-state forces.”

Declaration of martial law it was the first of its kind in more than 40 years in South Korea. disorder raised alarm among key diplomatic partners such as the US and Japan.

The removal of Yoon’s impeachment motion is expected to intensify the protests that are being called for his banishment and deepen political chaos in South Korea, with a poll suggesting a majority of South Koreans support impeachment of the president. Yoon’s declaration of martial law drew criticism from the conservative ruling party, but it is determined to oppose Yoon’s impeachment, apparently because it fears losing the presidency to the liberals.

Leader of the ruling People’s Power Party Han Dong-hun said on Sunday that the PPP would work with the government to bring about Yoon’s swift and orderly exit from office in a way that would minimize confusion, but he did not say when that would happen. He also claimed that Yoon will not be involved in state affairs, including foreign policy.

The Democratic Party criticized Han Dong-hun’s comments, saying that excluding a sitting president from state affairs is not supported by the constitution. He said authorities should immediately arrest Yoon and everyone else involved in the case.

Yoon’s presidential office did not immediately respond to Han’s comments.