South Korea’s former defense minister, Kim Yong Hyun, attempted to commit suicide in detention on Wednesday morning, according to reports. The incident occurred as police raided the office of President Yoon Suk Yeol amid an investigation into the president’s declaration of martial law.
Kim, who is currently in custody over allegations of involvement in a rebellion and abuse of power, has been accused of recommending martial law to the president and deploying troops to the National Assembly to block lawmakers from voting on the motion. Prosecutors have up to 20 days to decide whether to indict him.
The main liberal opposition Democratic Party is planning to hold a second impeachment vote against Yoon on Saturday, after a first attempt failed last weekend. The party has criticized Yoon’s declaration of martial law, which was imposed on December 3, as unconstitutional.
Yoon, a conservative, has apologized for the decision and said he would not seek to avoid legal or political responsibility for it. He has also stated that he would leave it to his party to lead the country through its political turmoil, including matters related to his term in office.
The martial law decree was met with widespread criticism, with many experts and opposition parties calling it a constitutional violation. The last time martial law was imposed in South Korea was over 40 years ago.
The investigation into Yoon’s declaration of martial law is ongoing, and it remains to be seen whether the president will face impeachment and removal from office. If he is impeached, his powers would be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove him, and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would take over his presidential responsibilities.
