South Korean prosecutors have launched an investigation into President Yoon Suk yeol, his interior minister and now former defence minister for their role in the attempt to impose martial law, the Korean media reported on Thursday.
The investigation has been assigned to the security investigation team at the National Police Agency’s National Investigation Department. The agency has received two complaints: from the opposition Korean Revival Party and a group of 59 activists. The complaints not only accuse the president, but also resigned Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun, martial law commander Park An-Soo, chief of staff of the Army, and Interior Minister Lee Sang-min.
The allegations charge them with state treason and other related offences for their role in the declaration and subsequent lifting of martial law, reports said. Similar complaints have also been filed with the Prosecutor’s Office and the Office for the Investigation of Corruption of Senior Officials. The agencies are considering whether to conduct their own investigations or refer them to the police.
AFP, citing a senior South Korean police officer, wrote that the investigation against Yoon was launched in connection with the sedition charge.
Korean media reported that a charge of abuse of power had also been filed, but even if Yoon is found guilty of that, the prosecutor’s office would find it difficult to investigate the case because of his status as acting president. Therefore, the agency is considering handing the case straight to the police.
At the same time, if an investigation into abuse of power is opened, a sedition case may also be opened, as under the rules of criminal prosecution, offences that are “directly related” to the crime under investigation can be investigated even if they go beyond the law, the agency said.
Conflict in parliament
On December 3, Yoon Suk Yeol imposed martial law for several hours due to conflict with opposition parties in parliament. In particular, due to disagreements, they could not pass the draft budget for the next year, and also tried to achieve impeachment for several high-ranking officials.
Military equipment was brought to the streets of Seoul, soldiers blocked the parliament building. MPs voted 150 minutes after martial law was imposed to lift it. In the early morning, Yoon agreed to it, the parliament voted in favour again.
Opposition parties have since put forward a proposal to impeach the president; the initiative will be considered on December 7. Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who proposed martial law, apologised for his actions and submitted his resignation, which was accepted by the president. The former minister has been banned from travelling abroad as part of an ongoing investigation.
Yanis Varoufakis, Greece’s former finance minister, wrote on X:
“Here we go again. Another coup, after many years, in South Korea. This is the direct result of the reckless promotion of a New Cold War by US-UK-EU: authoritarianism springs up from within.”
