South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been banned from leaving the country because of a failed attempt to impose martial law, a Justice Ministry official said on Monday, amid growing calls for his resignation and a deepening leadership crisis.
Yoon apologized for the failed attempt and said he would leave his political and legal fate to the ruling People’s Power Party (PPP), but did not resign. According to local media, he has become the target of a criminal investigation.
On Monday, the Defense Ministry said Yoon is still legally commander in chief, but growing dissent among senior military officers against the president has cast doubt on his grip on power.
Oh Dong-woon, head of the Corruption Investigation Bureau for high-ranking officials, said he barred Yoon from traveling abroad when asked in a parliamentary hearing about measures taken against the president.
A Justice Ministry official, Bae Sang-up, told the commission that the travel ban order had been enforced.
The commission was established in 2021 to investigate high-ranking officials, including the president and his family members, but does not have the authority to prosecute the president. Instead, he is required by law to refer the matter to the district attorney’s office.
Although Yoon survived the impeachment vote in Parliament on Saturday, his party’s decision to delegate presidential authority to the prime minister has thrown the key US ally into a constitutional crisis.
Yoon has rejected calls to resign, including from his own ruling party, but his future appeared more uncertain over the weekend when Yonhap news agency reported that he was under criminal investigation for alleged treason.
Prosecutors arrested former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun on Sunday for his alleged role in declaring martial law on December 3, Yonhap reported.
Yoon granted the military broad emergency powers on Dec. 3 to root out what he called “anti-state forces” and obstructionist political opponents. He revoked the ordinance six hours later, after Parliament voted against the decree.
Amid the backlash, several military officials, including the acting defense minister, said they would not follow any new orders to reimpose martial law.
Source: Terra
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