A former defense minister was arrested in South Korea

South Korean prosecutors have arrested former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun on suspicion of treason following the countryʼs declaration of martial law by President Yoon Seok Yeol.

This is reported by the South Korean agency Yonhap.

The Special Investigation Bureau, which handles political affairs, said it had arrested Kim and seized his cellphone. The man was sent to a detention center in eastern Seoul.

Investigators found out that the ex-minister suggested introducing martial law to President Yoon Seok Yeol, who announced it on the evening of December 3 amid the deepening political crisis. The president rescinded the decree six hours after parliament voted to end it.

Already on December 4, Kim Yong Hyun resigned and asked for forgiveness from the citizens for his own actions. The president accepted his resignation.

What preceded

Yoon Seok Yeol declared martial law in the country on the night of December 3-4 to "protect the constitutional order" — the first time since the 1980s. The reason was that the opposition Democratic Party of South Korea, which has a majority in the parliament, rejected the governmentʼs budget proposal and decided to impeach the state auditor and the chief prosecutor.

An hour later, South Koreaʼs parliament passed a resolution calling for martial law to be lifted. The South Korean government supported the "plan to lift martial law" as demanded by the parliament. Martial law lasted for about six hours.

When parliamentarians adopted the resolution, people sang the national anthem and applauded in the streets. According to preliminary estimates, four thousand citizens gathered near the parliament building.

The leader of the opposition Democratic Party Park Chan Dae said that the president of South Korea will not be able to avoid accusations of treason and should "immediately resign".

• President Yoon Seok Yeol has low approval ratings in the country, particularly due to rising food and housing prices, labor conflicts and a sharp drop in the birth rate. The presidentʼs reputation has also been under fire over a hidden camera video of First Lady Kim Keon Hee allegedly accepting a $2 200 Dior bag as a gift.

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