Yonhap reported on December 17 that Park An-su was arrested by court order, accused of playing a key role in the rebellion and abuse of power. When South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law for six hours on the night of December 3, Park was appointed as the martial law commander and signed the decree.

Mr. Park was suspended from his position as chief of staff of the South Korean army since December 12, after the South Korean Ministry of National Defense announced that he was not capable of performing his duties while under investigation for the martial law incident.

According to The Korea Herald , Mr. Park has expressed his willingness to cooperate with the investigation and waived his right to self-defense. With the latest development, Mr. Park An-su has become the fifth important figure to be arrested after President Yoon declared martial law.

So far, in addition to Mr. Park, other high-ranking South Korean officials arrested include former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, Defense Counterintelligence Command chief Yeo In-hyung, Special Operations Command chief Kwak Jong-keun and Capital Defense Command chief Lee Jin-woo.

In a related development, President Yoon's defense team on December 17 asserted that the decision to declare martial law did not constitute a crime of rebellion. Yoon's lawyer Seok Dong-hyeon said: "The president will present his views in court confidently and in accordance with what he believes."

The Constitutional Court of South Korea has now begun the process of reviewing the impeachment of Mr. Yoon, to make a final decision on whether the South Korean president will be removed from office or reinstated. Mr. Yoon is currently suspended from office after the South Korean parliament passed the impeachment motion.