South Korea’s former defense minister was stopped from attempting to kill himself while in custody as a result of last week’s declaration of martial law, officials said Wednesday, as President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office opposed police efforts to search the compound.
The main opposition Democratic Party is seeking a new motion to impeach Yoon over his December 3 decree that imposed martial law in South Korea for the first time in more than four decades.
Its first attempt to oust Yoon last Saturday failed after ruling party lawyers boycotted the vote. The party said it plans to submit a new proposal on Thursday for a vote on Saturday.
Yoon’s impeachment has paralyzed South Korean politics, stalled its foreign policy and rattled financial markets. On Wednesday, the media of the rival state of North Korea reported for the first time about the chaos that broke out on the border, but the country has not shown any suspicious activity.
Shin Yong Hae, commissioner general of the Korea Correctional Service, told lawmakers that former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun tried to kill himself last night at a facility in Seoul. He said the police stopped him and said he was in a satisfactory condition.
Kim was arrested by prosecutors early Wednesday on suspicion of taking a major role in the coup and abuse of power. He was the first person to be formally arrested under martial law.
Kim, who is close to Yoon, is accused of recommending martial law to Yoon and sending soldiers to the National Assembly to prevent lawmakers from voting on it. Enough lawmakers finally managed to enter the parliament chamber and unanimously rejected Yoon’s announcement, forcing the Cabinet to withdraw it before dawn on December 4.
Kim said in a statement on Tuesday that he “deeply apologizes for causing great concern” to the public. He said that all responsibility for the imposition of martial law rests on his shoulders and urged that soldiers be found to enforce it.
Prosecutors have up to 20 days to decide whether to indict Kim.
Yoon’s office blocks the search of the presidential building
Later on Wednesday, police arrested National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji Ho and Kim Bong-sik, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police. They were accused of planting police in parliament to prevent lawmakers from voting.
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The main focus of the investigation is whether Yoon, Kim and others involved in the imposition of martial law defected. Conviction of treason carries the maximum penalty of death.
South Korean police said they had sent officials to search Yoon’s office on Wednesday to look for any evidence related to the introduction of martial law. But investigators have failed to enter the office since Wednesday evening, about six hours after they arrived, police chief Lee Ho-young told parliament.
Some observers previously said the presidential security service would not allow a search of Yoon’s office, citing a law that prohibits searches of classified state sites without the consent of those in charge of those sites.
Yoon on Saturday apologized for martial law, saying he would not avoid legal or political responsibility for it. He said he will leave it to his team to organize studies that will deal with the political turmoil in the country, “including issues that affect my time in power.”
The leader of Yoon’s ruling party later vowed to organize a stable exit for the president, saying the party would work with Cabinet members on state affairs and that Yoon would be removed from office.
The comments have been criticized as untrue and unconstitutional, and have led to widespread questions about who is in charge of South Korea and its military amid tensions with North Korea. The Justice Department on Tuesday barred Yoon from leaving the country pending an investigation.
Deputy Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho reiterated on Wednesday that Yoon is still in charge of the military. But Yoon has not taken part in any official actions since he lifted martial law, other than receiving officials involved in the martial law case and appointing the head of the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
A Wednesday article from the North’s state news agency reported on South Korea’s political upheaval and protests sparked by Yoon’s martial law declaration. The report tried to explain the events in South Korea, although it called Yoon a “traitor” and his military “thugs”.
Many experts say that North Korea is sensitive to domestic media coverage of large-scale anti-government protests in foreign countries, because its people have no formal access to international affairs and can be affected by such events. The US State Department said on Monday that the US-South Korea alliance remains “ironclad” and that Washington is committed to the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula.
In his declaration of martial law, the conservative Yoon stressed the need to rebuild the country by eliminating “shameless North Korean supporters and anti-national forces,” a reference to his liberal rivals who control parliament. Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has been at odds with the Democratic Party, which has launched impeachment proposals for some of its top officials and sparked political outrage over scandals involving Yoon and his wife.
Opposition groups and many experts said martial law was unconstitutional. They said the president is legally allowed to declare martial law only in times of war or similar emergencies, but South Korea was not in such a situation. They say deploying the military to close the National Parliament to stop its political activities is tantamount to treason because the constitution does not allow the president to use the military to stop the Parliament in any situation.
If Yoon is impeached, his presidential powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to restore his powers or remove him from office. If he is ousted from office, a new presidential election will be required.
