South Korean police raided President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office on Wednesday, the 11th of December, and now-former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun has attempted to take his own life in the detention centre where he is being held following his arrest on Sunday, a Justice Ministry official said, as investigations continue into the head of state’s temporary declaration of martial law last week, reports Reuters.
The investigation has been opened against Yoon and senior police and army officials over the unexpected declaration of martial law on the 3rd of December, which plunged Asia’s fourth-largest economy into a constitutional crisis.
Soon after the declaration of martial law, lawmakers voted for the President to immediately lift the order, which he did a few hours later.
Defence Minister Kim has resigned and apologised for his role in the imposition of martial law, saying that he alone was responsible.
Following a suicide attempt at the detention centre he is now under observation and his life is not in danger at this time, the official said.
President Yoon is currently under criminal investigation on insurrection allegations and has been banned from leaving the country, but has not been arrested or questioned by the authorities.
The President, who has not been seen in public since Saturday, was also absent during the police raid.
The head of South Korea’s Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, one of the agencies currently investigating the martial law fiasco, said his office was ready to arrest Yun if necessary.
Pressure to arrest Yoon grew after military leaders claimed he ordered troops to prevent lawmakers from voting to lift martial law on the 3rd of December.
Kwak Jong-geun, the commander of the Army Special Warfare Command, testified on Tuesday that Yoon ordered troops to “break down doors” and “drag” lawmakers out of parliament, and that former defence minister Kim allegedly gave similar orders.
Earlier on Wednesday, national police chief Cho Ji-ho became the latest top official to be arrested, accused of deploying police to block lawmakers from entering parliament, according to Yonhap news agency.
As Yoon’s grip on power weakens, his office on Tuesday refused to announce who is currently leading the country, saying it had “no official position”.
The leader of Yoon’s People Power Party (PPP) announced that Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would oversee state affairs while they seek an “orderly” resignation of the president, but opposition parties and legal experts criticised the plan as constitutionally questionable.
The opposition Democratic Party (DP) plans to propose impeachment against Yun again on Wednesday, with a vote expected on Saturday after the first attempt failed.
Several members of Yoon’s party who boycotted the previous impeachment have now also expressed their support for this proposal.
If parliament votes in favour of impeachment, the Constitutional Court will hear the case and decide whether to impeach the President.