South Korea’s former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun has decided to forgo a court hearing for the arrest warrant issued against him on charges of playing a key role in the insurrection linked to the martial law declaration on Dec. 3.
Kim’s legal team, DR & AJU LLC, issued a statement to the press on Dec. 10, confirming his decision to waive the substantive examination of the warrant. The prosecution had earlier requested the arrest warrant for Kim, accusing him of playing a role in the martial law imposition and abuse of power. The Seoul Central District Court had scheduled the hearing for 3 p.m. the same day.
Kim apologized, saying, “I deeply apologize for causing great anxiety and inconvenience to the public. All responsibility for this situation lies solely with me.” He added, “My subordinates were merely following my orders and fulfilling their assigned duties,” and asked leniency for them. He likely referred to key figures involved in the martial law command, including former Defense Counterintelligence Commander Yeon In-hyung, former Special Warfare Commander Kwak Jong-geun, former Capital Defense Commander Lee Jin-woo, and Kim Hyun-tae, former head of the 707th Special Mission Group.
Kim concluded his statement, saying, “Please pray for the future of a free South Korea,” and reaffirmed his decision to forgo the hearing. DR & AJU LLC explained that while Kim had written the statement himself, it was released on his behalf as he was unable to present it personally.
