Kim Yong Hyun on South Korea

Kim Yong Hyun's connection to South Korea is defined by his actions as Minister of National Defense, culminating in his central role in the December 2024 emergency martial law declaration. He was a close confidant of President Yoon Suk Yeol, having served as the Chief of the Presidential Security Service, and was appointed Defense Minister on September 6, 2024, to support the President's security agenda. This agenda, as later revealed, included plans for military rule. During his brief tenure, he advocated for a hawkish stance on North Korea, including keeping South Korea's nuclear armament as an open option if US extended deterrence was insufficient, while simultaneously supporting deep security cooperation with the US and Japan.

His position became entirely defined by the failed attempt at an unconstitutional power seizure, for which he actively recommended the imposition of martial law. He ordered the military deployment to blockade the National Assembly to prevent lawmakers from lifting the declaration, and later resigned on December 5, 2024, after an impeachment motion was filed. His subsequent trial revealed that he was effectively second-in-command of the insurrection plot, leading to his conviction for insurrection and a 30-year prison sentence in February 2026.