South Korea’s former defence minister, Kim Yong-hyun, was arrested on Sunday for his alleged role in last week’s controversial martial law declaration by President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Prosecutors confirmed that Kim, seen as a key figure in the declaration, is being investigated for proposing the decree to Yoon, which sparked the country’s worst political crisis in decades.
The martial law, announced late Tuesday, granted sweeping emergency powers to the military to suppress “anti-state forces.” It was rescinded just six hours later following backlash from parliament, which unanimously voted to nullify it despite military and police cordons.
Kim voluntarily appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office early Sunday before being arrested. A special investigative team seized his mobile phone, while national police raided his office as part of a broader treason investigation into Yoon and senior officials, including martial law commander Park An-su.
Three minority opposition parties have accused Yoon and his ministers of insurrection. If convicted, leading an insurrection carries a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment. Opposition lawmakers allege Yoon’s martial law aimed to block parliament’s efforts to overturn what they deemed an unconstitutional decree.
Yoon narrowly survived an impeachment vote on Saturday, but his ruling People Power Party has effectively sidelined him. Party leader Han Dong-hoon announced that Yoon would step down early and refrain from handling state or foreign affairs in the interim. He said, during a press conference on Sunday, that the ruling party will consult with the prime minister to manage state affairs.
In a televised address hours before the impeachment vote, Yoon apologised for the martial law decree, vowing to accept his party’s decision about his political future. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo reassured allies, including the United States and Japan, that the government would work to maintain trust amid the unfolding crisis.
Yoon’s brief imposition of martial law has cast a shadow over South Korea’s democratic image, undermining its status as a political success story. The move also threatens to destabilise Asia’s fourth-largest economy and its role as a key US military ally.
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