Former South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun attempted suicide while in custody. His health is now normal, Yonhap reported.
Kim Yong Hyun is considered a key player in the plan to impose martial law. At a hearing in parliament, the head of the Justice Ministry’s prison service, Shin Yong Hae, said that an employee of the detention center noticed Kim Yong Hyun attempting to commit suicide shortly before midnight on Tuesday. The court issued an arrest warrant for the former minister after midnight on Wednesday. The official added that Kim Yong Hyun stopped trying to commit suicide after someone broke into the toilet to stop him. “A report was received that his [physical] health is normal,” Shin Yong Hae added.
According to media reports, Kim Yong Hyun was in charge of the actual imposition of martial law. According to the commander of the army special forces, in particular, the former head of the defense department gave orders to the military to remove deputies from parliament. The ex-minister is suspected of rebellion with the aim of overthrowing the constitutional order. These acts are punishable very severely, up to and including life imprisonment or the death penalty.