Prospects loom for Yoon to face probe as alleged 'mastermind' of botched martial law declaration

President Yoon Suk Yeol is seen in this Nov. 7 photo. Yonhap

Prosecutors are honing in on President Yoon Suk Yeol as an alleged "mastermind" behind last week's failed imposition of martial law, raising the likelihood of Yoon inevitably facing a probe himself as a sitting president.

Multiple investigations by law enforcement agencies are under way against top military and government officials over their alleged involvement in Yoon's abrupt imposition of martial law last Tuesday, which ended hours later following a parliamentary vote to end it.

The special prosecution investigation team handling the case has reportedly specified in its arrest warrant request for former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun that Kim "conspired with the president to incite an insurrection, with the intent of disrupting the constitutional order."

The probe team is apparently seeking to charge Kim as a "key participant" in the alleged insurrection, as Kim is believed to have written the martial law decree and ordered troops to infiltrate the National Assembly to arrest some opposition lawmakers.

By determining Kim as a participant, prosecutors appear to be directing their investigation against Yoon.

The prosecution believes that Yoon declared martial law without going through due parliamentary procedures and sought to block the parliament from stopping the martial law imposition.

Prosecutors are expected to delve into suspicions of whether Yoon had ordered the military's counterintelligence command to draft documents in preparation for martial law.

Whether Yoon had ordered the arrests of lawmakers and party officials, including opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung and ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon, will also be investigated.

Following the botched martial law imposition, top military officials have publicly claimed that they received phone calls from Yoon, seeking to grasp the situation while martial law was in effect.

Hong Jang-won, first deputy director of the spy agency, has said that Yoon ordered the arrest of prominent lawmakers of the ruling and main opposition parties, shortly after he declared martial law.

The prosecution has been questioning key primary suspects in its probe over the martial law attempt.

South Korea's criminal law stipulates that the "ringleader" in the crime of insurrection is punishable by death, life imprisonment or a life sentence with penal labor. (Yonhap)