Former South Korean defense minister arrested for treason

By Esra Tekin​​​​​​​

ISTANBUL (AA) - Officials in South Korea detained a former defense minister on Sunday as part of an investigation into alleged treason following President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law declaration last week, according to Yonhap News.

A special investigation team handling the political crisis confirmed Kim Yong-hyun’s arrest and seizure of his mobile phone.

He has been transferred to a detention center in eastern Seoul.

Kim's arrest occurred six hours after he arrived for overnight questioning at 1.30 a.m. local time. He said he would cooperate with the investigation.

Yoon accepted Kim’s resignation Thursday.

Prosecutors are believed to have arrested Kim because of the severity of the charges against him and concerns he might attempt to destroy evidence.

The suspicion that Kim could destroy evidence grew after it was discovered he rejoined Telegram, having previously deleted his account.

The prosecution is expected to recover his past conversations on the social media platform.

Suspects can be arrested under South Korean law without a warrant if there is strong evidence that suggests they have committed a serious crime or if there are concerns they may destroy evidence.

The special investigation team plans to request a formal arrest warrant for Kim within 48 hours of his detention.

If they fail to request, or if the court denies the warrant, Kim will be immediately released.