On December 10, South Korea arrested Kim Yong Hyun, the former defense minister and head of the state of emergency related to the December 3 incidents. It was the first arrest in the case since the state of emergency was declared a week ago. The arrest warrant was issued after considering the severity of the alleged crimes, the risk of destruction of evidence, and Kim Yong Hyun's influence on the trial.

The Seoul Central District Court confirmed that the grounds for arrest include alleged collusion with President Yoon Seok-yul to incite civil unrest. Prosecutors also charged Kim Yong-hyun with abuse of power related to managing the situation and attempting to obstruct the protection of civil rights.

The special investigation team handling the case requested Kim Yong-hyun's arrest on Dec. 9, alleging he played a key role in carrying out tasks aimed at suppressing peaceful protests and manipulating military governance processes. Prosecutors believe the arrest will strengthen their investigation into President Yoon Seok-yul, who is said to be a central figure in the alleged actions aimed at undermining civil liberties.

On December 10, Kim Yong-hyun's lawyer announced that his client had withdrawn from the hearing on the need for his arrest, apologizing to the public. Kim Yong-hyun said he took full responsibility for the events that occurred during the state of emergency. According to his lawyer, Kim expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to citizens and said he was ready to cooperate with the investigation.