South Korean police have arrested former defense minister Kim Yong Hyun amid an investigation into alleged treason, Yonhap news agency reported Sunday.
The 65-year-old suspect, who resigned on Wednesday and was replaced the next day, had been a strong supporter of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s decision to declare martial law.
On Tuesday, Yoon called for an end to martial law, accusing the opposition of sympathizing with North Korea. He said the move was aimed at “eliminating the pro-North Korean military and protecting the constitution of freedom.”
This is the first time since South Korea’s transition to democracy in the late 1980s that a head of state has imposed martial law.
A few days later, Yoon accepted Kim’s resignation, and the former defense minister reportedly took part in proposing martial law plans.
On Saturday, a parliamentary motion to impeach Yoon failed after almost all members of the president’s ruling People Power Party boycotted the vote.
Only 195 of the 300 members of parliament voted, meaning the proposal failed the required two-thirds majority by five votes.
Yoon, however, is facing intense pressure to resign, as more than 100,000 protesters gathered outside the parliament building to demand the impeachment of the president on Saturday evening, according to Yonhap.
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