South Korea’s former defence minister has tried to take his own life having been detained for his role in the martial law crisis last week.
Police in South Korea have also raided the president’s office in Seoul as they investigate him on charges of insurrection and treason.
Officers were reportedly unable to access President Yoon Suk Yeol’s offices but did get to civil service offices.
He was not in his office when police arrived there to investigate.
A special investigation unit said in a statement: “The special investigation team has conducted a raid on the presidential office, the National Police Agency, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and the National Assembly Security Service.”
South Korea’s former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun, who is now in a stable condition following his attempted suicide, said he took full responsibility for the martial law fiasco.
President Yoon said he had made the drastic decision to declare martial law to try and eliminate “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces” in the liberal opposition.
He has tried to maintain his position in power by agreeing to shorten his term in office and vowing not to involve himself in foreign and domestic policy.
Opposition parties branded this arrangement a “second coup.”
Meanwhile, the people of South Korea are still on the streets protesting.
Mason Richey, an associate professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, told the BBC: “The raids mean that investigations are picking up pace, including for Yoon.
“Given what we think we know as of now, Yoon will likely be impeached sooner rather than later. Either before or after, he will probably also face arrest, questioning, and eventually charges for insurrection.”
Experts say President Yoon’s martial law stunt came largely because of his political struggles.
He has had little success in getting his policies adopted by a parliament that has been controlled by the opposition since he took over in 2022.
Conservatives have said the opposition moves are political revenge for investigations into Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, who is seen as the favorite in the next presidential election in 2027.
