Former South Korean Defense Minister arrested for his alleged involvement in the declaration of martial law

MADRID Dec. 8 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The former South Korean Defense Minister, Kim Yong Hyun, was arrested this Sunday at the request of the Prosecutor’s Office for his alleged involvement in the controversial declaration of martial law decreed by the president, Yoon Suk Yeol, last Tuesday, a measure that was revoked later by the country’s Parliament.

“The former Minister of Defense, Kim Yong Hyun, was urgently arrested and the cell phone he had in his possession was confiscated,” the Public Ministry announced in the framework of an investigation into the martial law decree, as reported by the South Korean news agency Yonhap.

It was precisely the former minister who appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office, where he was interrogated and declared that he will “actively cooperate with the investigation.”

The Prosecutor’s Office has ordered his arrest due to the risk, according to Yonhap, that the person under investigation would destroy evidence referring to treason crimes. The investigations accuse Kim of betraying the country by promoting or approving martial law, a statement that came more than four decades after the last South Korean military regime.

Kim presented his resignation on Wednesday – which became official the following day – following President Yoon’s controversial decision to approve martial law that was later revoked by Parliament, and accepted “full responsibility for what happened.”

On Saturday, the motion presented by the South Korean opposition to try to remove the president did not reach the necessary majority in Parliament to move forward, after the ruling party has saved the president despite the criticism leveled against him in recent days. .

Yoon announced martial law in an unexpected address to the nation in which he accused the opposition of sympathizing with North Korea after opponents – who have a majority in Parliament – pushed forward a budget measure and presented motions dismissal against several senior officials.

The situation has caused strong protests in the South Korean capital, where groups of activists, opponents and unions have attacked a president who had a low popularity rate. All of them have asked for his resignation to return stability to the Asian country, as they have denounced.