Former South Korean Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun, accused of insurrection for his role in proposing martial law in December, has filed an appeal to overturn a court decision granting him bail.
On Monday, the Seoul Central District Court approved the prosecution&rsquo;s unusual request to grant Kim bail, despite opposition from Kim himself. With only 10 days left before his statutory six-month detention period expired, the court set bail at 100 million won (approx. $73,400), imposing restrictions on his communication with former President Yoon Suk Yeol and others linked to the case.
Kim, who was arrested on December 27, allegedly advised then-President Yoon to impose martial law and prepared the decree, including plans to deploy troops to the National Assembly to block lawmakers from rejecting it.
His legal team argued that the court&rsquo;s bail decision was not an act of release but an &ldquo;unconstitutional&rdquo; attempt to unlawfully extend his detention under restrictive conditions. They have also requested a stay order to suspend the bail ruling.
While bail is typically requested by defendants, the prosecution requested in this case, a move Kim&rsquo;s lawyers say undermines his basic rights.
Kim had previously applied for bail, but both the Seoul Central District Court and the High Court denied it. The court now appears to be using the bail order to maintain control over Kim during ongoing legal proceedings related to the alleged martial law plot.
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]
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Ex-Korean Defence Minister Appeals Bail Grant in Coup Case

Kim Yong-hyun challenges court-ordered bail, calls it unconstitutional and a detention extension.

Ex-Korean Defence Minister Appeals Bail Grant in Coup Case

Kim Yong-hyun challenges court-ordered bail, calls it unconstitutional and a detention extension.

June 16, 2025 | 14:46 IST