Former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun, who was arrested on Tuesday, has been accused by opposition lawmakers of calling for strikes on sites from which North Korea was launching balloons carrying trash, an order reportedly refused by his subordinates.
He also allegedly ordered drones sent to the North Korean capital of Pyongyang in an apparent attempt to provoke a conflict as a pretext for declaring martial law.
“North Korea seems to have maintained a relatively quiet stance so far,” said Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, “given that this situation in the South involves what is considered an unlawful rebellion.”
“North Korea might be cautious about how this could influence their military, particularly as many North Korean troops are currently deployed to Russia,” he told AFP.
Yoon survived an impeachment motion in parliament on Saturday even as tens of thousands of South Koreans braved freezing temperatures outside to demand his ouster.
The opposition plans to bring another motion to impeach Yoon to a vote on Saturday.
