South Korean ex-minister attempts suicide, police attempt search of president's office in martial law probe
Main opposition party says it will try again to impeach President Yoon over martial law crisis
South Korea's previous defence minister was stopped from attempting suicide while in detention over last week's martial law declaration, officials said Wednesday, as President Yoon Suk Yeol's office resisted a police attempt to search the compound.
Shin Yong Hae, commissioner general of the Korea Correctional Service, told lawmakers that former defence minister Kim Yong Hyun tried to kill himself late Tuesday night at a detention centre in Seoul. He said correctional officers stopped him and that he was in stable condition.
At the same parliament committee meeting, Justice Minister Park Sung Jae confirmed Kim's suicide attempt.
Kim was arrested by prosecutors early Wednesday on allegations of playing a key role in a rebellion and committing abuse of power. He became the first person formally arrested over the martial law decree.
Kim, one of Yoon's close associates, has been accused of recommending martial law to Yoon and sending troops to the National Assembly to block lawmakers from voting on it. Enough lawmakers eventually managed to enter a parliament chamber and they unanimously rejected Yoon's decree, forcing the cabinet to lift it before daybreak on Dec. 4.
Kim apologized in a statement on Tuesday and said all responsibility for the martial law imposition rests with him, while pleading for leniency for soldiers deployed to enforce it. Prosecutors have up to 20 days to determine whether to indict Kim.
Police wait hours at president's office
Yoon's ill-conceived power grab has paralyzed South Korean politics, frozen its foreign policy and rattled financial markets.
South Korean police said they sent officers to search Yoon's office on Wednesday to look for any evidence related to the martial law introduction. But investigators failed to enter the office as of Wednesday evening, about six hours after their arrival, senior police officer Lee Ho-young told the parliament.
Some observers earlier said that the presidential security service won't likely permit searches of Yoon's office, citing a law that prohibits searches of sites with state secrets without approval from those in charge of those areas.
Yoon on Saturday apologized over the martial law decree, saying that he won't avoid legal or political responsibility for it. He said he would leave it to his party to chart a course through the country's political turmoil, "including matters related to my term in office."
Vice Defence Minister Kim Seon Ho reiterated Wednesday that Yoon remains in charge of the military. But Yoon hasn't been involved in any major official activities since lifting martial law.
The Justice Ministry on Tuesday banned Yoon from leaving the country as he faces investigations.
North Korea mocks crisis for 1st time
The main liberal opposition Democratic Party is pushing for a new motion to impeach Yoon for his Dec. 3 decree that imposed martial law in South Korea for the first time in more than four decades. Its first impeachment attempt against Yoon last Saturday failed after ruling party lawmakers boycotted the vote. The party said it plans to submit the new motion on Thursday to set up a vote on Saturday.
On Wednesday, rival North Korea's state media for the first time reported about the turmoil across the border, but the country hasn't shown any suspicious activities.
A report from North Korea's state news agency mostly attempted to explain the South Korean events, though it called Yoon "a traitor" and his military "gangsters."
Many experts say North Korea is sensitive to the domestic spread of news on major anti-government protests in foreign countries, because its own people have no official access to international news and could be affected by such events.
Also Wednesday, National Police Agency Commissioner General Cho Ji Ho and Kim Bong-sik, head of the metropolitan police agency of Seoul, were detained over their actions during martial law.
They are being investigated for their roles in deploying police forces to the National Assembly to block lawmakers from voting to lift Yoon's martial law decree.
If you or someone you know is struggling, here's where to get help:
- Canada's Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call or text 988.
- Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868. Text 686868. Live chat counselling on the website.
- Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre.
This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you're worried about.