SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean prosecutors on Sunday questioned ex-Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun over his alleged role in President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law on Tuesday, Yonhap News Agency said.
Kim appeared at Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning at 1:30 a.m. on Sunday (1630 GMT on Saturday), the report said. The office was not immediately available for comments.
Kim, who offered his resignation on Wednesday, was seen as a central figure in the botched martial law. A senior military official and filings to impeach Yoon by opposition members said Kim had made the proposal to Yoon.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol survived an impeachment vote in parliament on Saturday, prompted by his short-lived attempt to impose martial law.
Yoon shocked the nation on Tuesday night when he gave the military sweeping emergency powers to root out what he called “anti-state forces.” He rescinded the order six hours later, after parliament defied military and police cordons to vote unanimously against the decree.
(This story has been refiled to correct a typo in the headline)
(Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Sandra Maler)
