SEOUL - South Korean police raided President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office on Wednesday as the investigation into his declaration of martial law gathered pace.
Prison authorities, meanwhile, said the country’s former defence minister tried to kill himself shortly before his formal arrest over the events of the night of December 3.
The extraordinary drama saw troops and helicopters sent to parliament in an apparent -- but failed -- attempt to prevent lawmakers from voting down Yoon’s martial law declaration. The deeply unpopular Yoon is already under a travel ban as part of an “insurrection” probe into his inner circle. On Wednesday, a special investigation unit of South Korea’s police said it raided the presidential office as well as the National Police Agency, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and the National Assembly Security Service.
A statement gave no further details. Former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun tried to kill himself shortly before midnight on Tuesday (1500 GMT Tuesday) while in custody, authorities said. Kim was first detained on Sunday. The suicide attempt took place shortly before he was formally arrested, the justice ministry and a prison official said.
They added that he was in good health on Wednesday. Kim was arrested on charges of “engaging in critical duties during an insurrection” and “abuse of authority to obstruct the exercise of rights”.
The former defence minister said through his lawyers that “all responsibility for this situation lies solely with me” and that subordinates were “merely following my orders and fulfilling their assigned duties”.
He had already been slapped with a travel ban along with the former interior minister and the general in charge of the martial law operation. Cho Ji-ho, commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, and Kim Bong-sik, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, were also arrested early Wednesday, police said. Yoon’s ruling party said it is forging a “resignation roadmap” that reportedly could see him step down in February or March before fresh elections, while the opposition plans to organise an impeachment vote every Saturday. A day after Yoon was barred from travelling abroad, authorities banned more top officials from leaving the country, including Cho Ji-ho, commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, police told AFP. Cho and Kim Bong-sik, the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, were arrested early Wednesday without warrant, Yonhap news agency reported.
They can be held up to 48 hours for questioning before a formal arrest.
Already under a travel ban are the former defence and interior ministers and martial law commander General Park An-su, who along with other top brass was grilled by lawmakers on Tuesday.
Yoon narrowly survived an impeachment effort in parliament on Saturday as tens of thousands braved freezing temperatures to call for his ouster.