Former South Korean Defence Minister Kim Yong-Hyun, recently arrested over allegations of involvement in a failed martial law attempt, reportedly attempted suicide on Wednesday while in detention. Officials stated that Kim used his underwear in the suicide attempt, according to a Reuters report.
Kim’s arrest came as South Korean prosecutors pursued a treason investigation following the controversial and short-lived martial law declaration by President Yoon Suk Yeol. Prosecutors allege that Kim played a pivotal role in proposing and implementing the temporary martial law, which sparked nationwide unrest. Opposition documents and testimony from a senior military official reportedly implicate Kim in advising President Yoon on the measure.
The political crisis deepened earlier on Wednesday when a special investigation unit raided key government offices, including the presidential office, the National Police Agency, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and the National Assembly Security Service. The raid followed last week’s turmoil stemming from the martial law declaration.
In a statement to AFP, the investigation team confirmed the raids, underscoring their focus on uncovering the circumstances surrounding the declaration and its abrupt retraction, which left the nation in a state of political instability.
