First Arrest Warrant for 'Gye-eom Incident' Kim Yong-hyun, Warrant Hearing at 3 PM Today... Charged with 'Conspiracy to Commit Treason'

Former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun, who proposed and led the declaration of martial law to President Yoon Suk-yeol, faced detention on the 10th. This is the first time the prosecution investigating the December 3 martial law incident has requested an arrest warrant for a related figure.

According to the legal community, the Seoul Central District Court will conduct a detention hearing (warrant review) for former Minister Kim at 3 p.m. on the same day. The hearing will be presided over by Judge Nam Cheon-gyu of the Seoul Central District Court. The prosecution announced that it requested an arrest warrant for former Minister Kim close to midnight the previous day, and given the gravity of the situation, the court promptly announced the schedule for the warrant review.

The prosecution is understood to have cited charges of conspiring with President Yoon to commit rebellion aimed at disrupting the constitutional order (engaging in important duties related to rebellion) in the arrest warrant for former Minister Kim. If the arrest warrant for former Minister Kim is issued, a comprehensive investigation is expected to be conducted into President Yoon, the ultimate commander of the rebellion, as well as the military and police leadership who supported the implementation of martial law.

Former Minister Kim is currently under emergency detention by the prosecution. He expressed his intention to resign ahead of his scheduled appearance at the National Assembly on the 4th, after martial law was lifted, and President Yoon approved his dismissal. Subsequently, he did not respond to summonses from investigative agencies and remained out of public view until he unexpectedly appeared at the prosecution office at around 1:30 a.m. on the 8th. The prosecution interrogated former Minister Kim for about six hours before placing him under emergency detention.