South Korea moves to investigate President Yoon, allies over martial law Conviction on rebellion charges could carry death penalty

South Korean prosecutors are seeking to formally arrest former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who is accused of collaborating with President Yoon Suk Yeol in the imposition of martial law, as authorities investigate whether their actions constitute rebellion.

The martial law, imposed last week for the first time in over 40 years, lasted only six hours but sparked a national uproar and widespread protests. Yoon and his associates are now facing criminal investigations and impeachment attempts, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The Justice Ministry has imposed a travel ban on President Yoon and eight others, considering them key suspects in the martial law case. This is the first instance of a sitting South Korean president being subjected to such a travel restriction.

The Seoul Central District Court stated it would review the prosecutors' request for an arrest warrant for Kim, who is accused of recommending the martial law to Yoon and directing troops to the National Assembly to block lawmakers from voting on it. Despite the intervention, a sufficient number of lawmakers managed to enter the parliament chamber, where they unanimously rejected Yoon’s decree, forcing the Cabinet to revoke it before dawn on December 4.

Kim expressed regret, offering a public apology for causing significant distress and inconvenience. He stated that he alone bore the responsibility for the martial law imposition and pleaded for leniency for the soldiers who were deployed to enforce it, asserting that they were merely following his orders.

Kim has been in detention since December 8, and if the arrest warrant is granted, he would become the first individual arrested in connection with the case. Prosecutors would have up to 20 days to investigate him and decide whether to file charges. A conviction on rebellion charges could carry the death penalty.

Reports suggest that prosecutors accuse Kim of playing a central role in orchestrating a rebellion and committing abuse of power by staging a riot to disrupt the constitutional order in collaboration with Yoon and other military and police officials. However, Seoul's prosecutors' office could not immediately confirm these details.

Opposition parties, along with many legal experts, argue that the martial law decree was unconstitutional. They contend that the president is legally permitted to declare martial law only in situations of wartime, war-like conditions, or other comparable national emergencies—none of which were present in South Korea at the time.

In his announcement of martial law, President Yoon emphasized the need to "rebuild" the country by eliminating "shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces," a thinly veiled reference to his liberal political opponents who dominate the National Assembly.

By Vafa Guliyeva