Seoul, June 20 (IANS) A South Korea’s Seoul court said on Friday that it will hold a hearing next week to determine whether to extend the arrest of former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun over his alleged role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived imposition of martial law.
The Seoul Central District Court said the hearing will be held at 2:30 pm Monday before deciding whether to issue a new arrest warrant for Kim, who has been in custody since December and standing trial on charges of insurrection in connection with the martial law attempt, Yonhap news agency reported.
A new warrant was requested by independent counsel Cho Eun-suk earlier this week as the current six-month detention period for Kim is set to expire next Thursday, granting him unconditional release.
As the same charges cannot be used to justify continued detention, Cho said he has indicted Kim on new charges of obstruction of official duties and abetting the destruction of evidence.
Kim’s side filed for a change of the hearing date soon after it was announced.
“The hearing should proceed after the lawful delivery of the indictment and inspection of recorded evidence,” it said.
Earlier on June 19, the independent counsel investigating South Korean former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived imposition of martial law said that he had indicted former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun on charges including obstruction of official duties, Yonhap news agency reported.
Cho Eun-suk said in a notice to the press that Kim was also indicted on charges of abetting the destruction of evidence in connection with the December 3 imposition of martial law. The charges were filed late Wednesday night.
Kim had been under arrest since December 27 and standing trial on charges of insurrection for recommending martial law to Yoon and drafting the decree.
The additional indictments came two days after Kim appealed a conditional bail decision sought by the prosecution and granted by a court in an apparent bid to win unconditional release when his six-month arrest expires June 26.
–IANS
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