South Korea: Army Chief Arrested for Alleged Role in Insurrection
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Seoul, Dec 17 (NationPress) The Army Chief of Staff of South Korea, Gen. Park An-su, who was in charge during President Yoon Suk Yeol's fleeting martial law enforcement, was taken into custody on Tuesday, as reported by prosecutors.
His arrest came following a court-issued warrant, with allegations of his significant involvement in an insurrection and abuse of power.
This marks him as the fifth prominent individual arrested in relation to Yoon's unsuccessful attempt to enforce martial law on December 3.
Other military officials arrested include former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun, Lt Gen Yeo In-hyung, the head of the Defence Counterintelligence Command, Lt Gen Kwak Jong-keun, who leads the Army Special Warfare Command, and Lt Gen Lee Jin-woo, head of the Capital Defence Command.
On December 9, South Korean prosecutors began investigating alleged treason in the wake of President Yoon's brief martial law, questioning Gen Park, who had been designated to oversee the martial law command.
Park was interrogated as a witness at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office for approximately eight hours, from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. on December 9.
Prosecutors have summoned Park and other military leaders who operated under former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun during the martial law execution on December 3, planning to seek an arrest warrant for Kim on charges of treason and abuse of power.
Kim, detained under emergency protocols on December 6, was a key player in Yoon's abrupt martial law declaration, which lasted only six hours before being rescinded following a National Assembly vote opposing it.
During a National Assembly session on December 5, Park stated he was unaware of the martial law declaration prior to its announcement.
Prosecutors reportedly inquired about the directives and commands he received before and after the martial law declaration, as well as his involvement in disseminating the martial law proclamation and mobilizing troops.
On December 14, the National Assembly voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol due to his mishandled martial law declaration, suspending him from his duties until the Constitutional Court decides on his reinstatement or removal from office, an action that garnered public approval.
The impeachment motion against Yoon passed with a vote of 204-85, alongside three abstentions and eight invalid ballots, after all 300 Assembly members participated.
