The Seoul Central District Court has refused to grant bail to former Minister of Defense Kim Yong-hyun, a key figure in the martial law case.

The court handed down the decision Thursday, citing articles under the Criminal Procedure Act that say bail can be denied when the alleged offenses carry the death penalty, life imprisonment or imprisonment for more than 10 years, or when there is good reason to believe the accused is likely to destroy evidence.

The former defense chief stands accused of abusing his authority and playing a major part in an insurrection by deploying troops to the National Assembly when martial law was briefly imposed on December 3.

If found guilty, he could face the death penalty or life imprisonment.

Meanwhile, the court denied the prosecution’s request to ban Kim from engaging with the public and receiving or sending letters, saying there was not enough documentation to establish the need for such restrictions.