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Following his arrest in connection with the president’s declaration of martial law, former South Korean defense minister Kim Yong Hyun attempted suicide in detention before being stopped by officials.
This incident follows a police raid on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office on Wednesday as part of the ongoing investigation into the martial law declaration.
The main liberal opposition party plans a second impeachment vote against President Yoon this Saturday concerning his martial law declaration, following a failed attempt last weekend.
According to Shin Yong Hae, commissioner general of the Korea Correctional Service, who addressed lawmakers Wednesday, Kim’s suicide attempt at a Seoul detention center was unsuccessful due to timely intervention by officials.
Kim is reported to be in stable condition.
Justice Minister Park Sung Jae also confirmed the failed suicide attempt during the parliamentary committee meeting.
Kim’s detention followed a Seoul court’s approval of an arrest warrant on charges of rebellion and abuse of power. He was the first arrest related to the president’s December 3rd martial law decree.
A close associate of President Yoon, Kim stands accused of recommending martial law to the president and deploying troops to the National Assembly to prevent lawmakers from voting on the motion. Lawmakers eventually entered the parliament chamber and unanimously rejected Yoon’s decree, leading to its immediate revocation.
Prosecutors have a 20-day window to decide whether to indict Kim.
Cho Ji Ho, commissioner general of the National Police Agency, and Kim Bong-sik, Seoul’s police chief, were also detained for their roles in the martial law deployment, facing allegations of obstructing the National Assembly vote.
The nation’s primary law enforcement agencies are investigating whether President Yoon, Kim, and other individuals involved committed the crime of rebellion, which carries a potential death sentence.
President Yoon, a conservative, issued an apology on Saturday for the martial law declaration, stating he would face any legal consequences and would allow his party to navigate the political crisis, including matters related to his presidency.
In his martial law declaration, Yoon aimed to restructure the country by eliminating what he termed “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces,” a critique of his liberal parliamentary rivals.
Opposition parties and numerous experts have condemned the martial law decree as unconstitutional. This marked South Korea’s first imposition of martial law in over four decades.
During Tuesday’s parliamentary hearing, Kwak Jong-keun, commander of the Army Special Warfare Command, testified that President Yoon ordered the troops deployed to parliament to “quickly destroy the door and drag out the lawmakers who are inside,” an order Kwak refused to follow.
Kim Dae-woo, a senior officer from the military’s counterintelligence agency, revealed during the same hearing that his commander, Yeo In-hyung (a close associate of Kim Yong Hyun), inquired about the availability of space in a Seoul army bunker to detain politicians following the martial law declaration.
If President Yoon is impeached, his powers will be suspended pending the Constitutional Court’s decision. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would assume presidential duties.
A presidential election would be held within 60 days of removal from office.