South Korea ex-defence minister tries to take his own life over failed martial law

Kim Yong Hyun and President Yoon Suk Yeol are the subject of a criminal investigation on insurrection charges.

Mr Kim was arrested earlier on Wednesday after a Seoul court approved a warrant for him on allegations of playing a key role in a rebellion and committing abuse of power.

He became the first person arrested over the 3 December martial law decree.

It comes after reports said police were searching Mr Yoon's office.

Police did not immediately confirm the report which comes as the country's main law enforcement institutions are focusing on finding whether Mr Yoon and others involved in the martial law imposition committed rebellion.

South Korea's national police chief and the top police officer for the capital Seoul have also been detained for their roles in the short-lived decree.

Police said National Police Agency commissioner general Cho Ji Ho and Kim Bong-sik, head of Seoul's metropolitan police agency of the capital, were being held at Seoul's Namdaemun police station.

South Korea's febrile political environment looks increasingly desperate.

In the space of 24 hours the former defence minister was arrested and attempted suicide, the most senior figures in the country's police department have also been arrested and the office of President Yoon Suk Yeol has been raided.

It's been a long week in South Korean politics since Mr Yeol's botched attempt at declaring martial law last Tuesday night.

Multiple investigations into the decision-making that led to the fateful night are gaining momentum.

But there's still one big question overshadowing it all – who exactly is in charge?

President Yeol is refusing to step down. He said he would hand his powers over to the prime minister. But some analysts argue that's unconstitutional.

The next showdown will be on Saturday when the National Assembly meets again to vote on another impeachment motion.

The last impeachment vote failed. Five members of the ruling party now say they will support the impeachment vote. It will take at least eight votes in total from the ruling party to pass, so three more are needed.

South Koreans are still angry and dismayed at the demise of their democratic order.

The country is holding it together but looking shaky.

The development comes hours before the main liberal opposition Democratic Party submits a new motion to impeach Mr Yoon on the martial law introduction.

The party said it aims to put the motion on a floor vote on Saturday.

There was political chaos and soldiers on the streets of the capital when Mr Yoon made the surprise martial law announcement.

The state of emergency only lasted about six hours as parliament voted to block the decree and people took to the streets in protest.

In his martial law announcement, the conservative Mr Yoon stressed a need to rebuild the country by eliminating "shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces", a reference to his liberal rivals who control parliament.

Since taking office in 2022, he has had near-constant friction with the main liberal opposition Democratic Party.

Mr Yoon avoided impeachment on Saturday after most governing party lawmakers boycotted a floor vote in the National Assembly.

If he is impeached, his presidential powers would be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to restore them or remove him from office.

-SKY NEWS