South Korea: Former Defence Minister Arrested on Treason Allegations

Seoul, Dec 8 (NationPress) The prosecution has detained former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun on Sunday as part of an investigation into alleged treason triggered by President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief declaration of martial law last week.

The special investigation unit looking into the political crisis announced that it has apprehended Kim and confiscated his mobile phone. According to reports from Yonhap news agency, Kim has been moved to a detention facility located in eastern Seoul.

This arrest occurred approximately six hours after Kim arrived for an overnight interrogation by the special investigation unit at 1:30 a.m., during which he expressed his intent to fully cooperate with the ongoing inquiry.

Kim had proposed the enactment of martial law to President Yoon Suk Yeol, who put the measure into effect late on Tuesday amid a growing political stalemate with the opposition-led National Assembly. However, the president rescinded the order just six hours later after the Assembly voted to terminate it.

Following this incident, Kim submitted his resignation, which Yoon accepted on Thursday.

Prosecutors are believed to have taken Kim into custody due to the serious nature of the allegations against him and fears that he might attempt to destroy critical evidence.

Concerns regarding Kim's potential to eliminate evidence intensified after he rejoined Telegram after previously deleting his account.

The prosecution is anticipated to retrieve earlier conversations from the messaging app.

Under the law, suspects may be detained without a warrant if there are substantial reasons to believe a severe crime has occurred, or if there are fears of evidence destruction.

The special investigation unit plans to request a warrant for Kim's formal arrest within 48 hours following his detention. Should prosecutors fail to file for a warrant, or if the court denies the request, Kim will be released immediately.