South Korea arrests former defense minister for alleged treason
Former South Korean defense minister Kim Yong-hyun has been arrested over his alleged role in declaring martial law, Yonhap has reported Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Kim Yong-hyun is under investigation in connection with a state of martial law that was briefly declared earlier this week.
Former South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun has been arrested for his alleged involvement in President Yoon Suk Yeol's decision to announce martial law, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
On Tuesday, President Yoon declared martial law after accusing the opposition of being sympathetic to North Korea and plotting a “rebellion.” However, he retracted the announcement in less than six hours after a vote against it in the National Assembly and widespread protests in the streets.
Reports indicate that Kim, who resigned from his position on Wednesday, was the one who advised the president to impose martial law. In response, the opposition filed legal complaints against Yoon, Kim, and martial law commander Park An-Su, accusing them of treason.
According to Yonhap, Kim was arrested following his voluntary questioning by prosecutors on Sunday. He has since been taken to a detention center in eastern Seoul, where his phone was confiscated. Police also conducted searches at both his office and official residence later that same day.
In addition, Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, another member of Yoon’s administration, announced his resignation on Sunday. He stated that he was stepping down “in grave recognition of responsibility for failing to serve the public and the president well,” as reported by JoongAng Ilbo.
The previous day, an attempt to impeach President Yoon failed when his People Power Party boycotted the National Assembly vote. In response, the main opposition Democratic Party vowed to pursue impeachment weekly.
Following the events, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon criticized Yoon’s martial law decision as an “unconstitutional act” and noted that the majority of South Koreans want the president to resign. "Through an orderly early departure of the president, we will minimize the chaos for the Republic of Korea and its people, stabilize the political situation and restore liberal democracy,” Han stated.
He assured that Yoon would refrain from making significant decisions, including those related to diplomacy, during his remaining time in office. “Until the president’s departure, the prime minister and the party will closely consult to seamlessly take care of livelihood issues and state affairs,” Han added.
However, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik emphasized that it was unconstitutional to hand over presidential authority to the Prime Minister and the ruling party without an impeachment process. He called for a meeting between the PPP and the opposition to immediately discuss ways to suspend Yoon’s presidential powers.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
Former South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun has been arrested for his alleged involvement in President Yoon Suk Yeol's decision to announce martial law, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
On Tuesday, President Yoon declared martial law after accusing the opposition of being sympathetic to North Korea and plotting a “rebellion.” However, he retracted the announcement in less than six hours after a vote against it in the National Assembly and widespread protests in the streets.
Reports indicate that Kim, who resigned from his position on Wednesday, was the one who advised the president to impose martial law. In response, the opposition filed legal complaints against Yoon, Kim, and martial law commander Park An-Su, accusing them of treason.
According to Yonhap, Kim was arrested following his voluntary questioning by prosecutors on Sunday. He has since been taken to a detention center in eastern Seoul, where his phone was confiscated. Police also conducted searches at both his office and official residence later that same day.
In addition, Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, another member of Yoon’s administration, announced his resignation on Sunday. He stated that he was stepping down “in grave recognition of responsibility for failing to serve the public and the president well,” as reported by JoongAng Ilbo.
The previous day, an attempt to impeach President Yoon failed when his People Power Party boycotted the National Assembly vote. In response, the main opposition Democratic Party vowed to pursue impeachment weekly.
Following the events, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon criticized Yoon’s martial law decision as an “unconstitutional act” and noted that the majority of South Koreans want the president to resign. "Through an orderly early departure of the president, we will minimize the chaos for the Republic of Korea and its people, stabilize the political situation and restore liberal democracy,” Han stated.
He assured that Yoon would refrain from making significant decisions, including those related to diplomacy, during his remaining time in office. “Until the president’s departure, the prime minister and the party will closely consult to seamlessly take care of livelihood issues and state affairs,” Han added.
However, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik emphasized that it was unconstitutional to hand over presidential authority to the Prime Minister and the ruling party without an impeachment process. He called for a meeting between the PPP and the opposition to immediately discuss ways to suspend Yoon’s presidential powers.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
