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SOUTH KOREAN prosecutors today detained a former defence minister who allegedly recommended last week’s brief imposition of martial law to President Yoon Suk Yeol, making him the first figure detained over the case.
The development came a day after President Yoon avoided an opposition-led bid to impeach him in parliament, with most ruling party lawmakers boycotting a vote to prevent the two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers.
The main opposition Democratic Party said it will propose a new impeachment motion against President Yoon.
On Sunday, ex-defence minister Kim Yong Hyun was taken into custody at a Seoul detention facility after undergoing an investigation by prosecutors, a law enforcement official said.
Senior prosecutor Park Se-Hyun said in a televised statement on Sunday that authorities launched a 62-member special investigation into the case. Mr Park, who will head the team, said the probe would “leave no suspicions.”
Mr Yoon accepted Mr Kim’s resignation offer on Thursday after opposition parties submitted a separate impeachment motion against him.
Mr Kim was central to the imposition of martial law, which led to special forces troops encircling the National Assembly building and army helicopters hovering over it.
The military withdrew after the parliament unanimously voted to overturn Mr Yoon’s decree, forcing his cabinet to lift it early on Wednesday.
In a statement on Wednesday, Mr Kim said that “all troops who performed duties related to martial law were acting on my instructions, and all responsibility lies with me.”
On Saturday, Mr Yoon issued an apology over the martial law decree, saying he would not shirk legal or political responsibility for the declaration.
He said he would leave it to his party to decide “matters related to my term in office.”
Meanwhile South Korean trade unions continued their general strike to demand the resignation of the president.
Members of the Korean Metal Workers Union walked out in their thousands on Friday to demand the president’s resignation.
