S. Korean ex-defense minister formally arrested for insurrection charges

Xinhua
South Korea's former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun was formally arrested Wednesday on insurrection charges related to President Yoon Suk-yeol's declaration of martial law.
Xinhua

South Korea's former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun was formally arrested Wednesday on insurrection charges related to President Yoon Suk-yeol's declaration of martial law, Yonhap news agency reported.

The Seoul Central District Court issued a formal arrest warrant for Kim, who had already been detained since Sunday, after prosecutors accused him of engaging in "essential" activities in insurrection and abusing his power to obstruct the exercising of rights when martial law was in place for six hours between Tuesday and Wednesday last week, the report said.

The court granted the prosecution's request to arrest Kim, saying it was worried that he would destroy evidence, it added.

The former defense chief waived Tuesday's court hearing to review the arrest warrant.

President Yoon Suk-yeol has already been booked as a suspect and barred from traveling overseas.

Under the law, while the president mostly has immunity from prosecution while in office, that does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.

Police arrested early Wednesday South Korea's police commissioner and the Seoul police chief in connection with the probe into President Yoon Suk-yeol's short-lived martial law imposition.

Cho Ji-ho, commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, and Kim Bong-sik, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, were arrested on insurrection charges, according to a special investigation team under the national police.

The two police chiefs were suspected of instructing police officers to cordon off the National Assembly compound to block lawmakers from attending a plenary session for a vote against the imposition of the emergency martial law.

Police made the arrest in consideration of seriousness of the charges and the possibility of destruction of evidence by the two officers, Yonhap said, citing police sources.

Authorities had previously confiscated the two officers' cellphones and placed travel bans on them.


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