South Korea detains former security official Kim Tae-hyo over martial‑law justification messages

Kim Tae-hyo, former first vice‑director of the presidential office’s National Security Office, was taken into custody after a Seoul Central District Court judge issued a pre‑trial detention order. Prosecutors allege he transmitted messages to allied countries, including the United States, to justify the emergency martial law declared on December 3, claiming it was necessary to protect liberal democracy.

During the hearing, Kim declined to answer questions about whether he acted on instructions from former President Yoon Suk‑yeol and reiterated that he would speak about the allegations at a later time. The case is being investigated by a special prosecutor team as part of a broader probe into the conduct surrounding the martial‑law declaration.