The South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol, has been prohibited from traveling abroad following a failed attempt to enact martial law, as stated by an official from the justice ministry. This has occurred amidst mounting demands for his resignation and a deepening crisis in leadership.
Mr. Yoon has expressed regret over the failed initiative and stated that he would leave his political and legal fate in the hands of his ruling People Power Party (PPP), though he has not stepped down. Local media reports indicate that he is now the subject of a criminal investigation.
The defense ministry has affirmed that Mr. Yoon remains the legally recognized commander-in-chief, yet questions regarding his authority have surfaced amid growing dissent among high-ranking military officers and his own party’s announcement to form a taskforce to address his potential resignation.
Oh Dong-woon, the head of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, confirmed during a parliamentary hearing that a ban on overseas travel for Mr. Yoon has been issued in response to inquiries about the measures being taken against the beleaguered president.
President Yoon Suk Yeol may still face police questioning.
The established panel in 2021 was tasked with investigating high-ranking officials, including the president and their family members, but lacks the authority to prosecute the president, necessitating a referral to the prosecutors’ office by law.
Although Mr. Yoon survived an impeachment vote in parliament on Saturday, the decision by his party to delegate presidential powers to the prime minister has plunged this key U.S. ally into a constitutional crisis.
Mr. Yoon has ignored calls to resign, including those from within his own ruling party, and faced increased uncertainty over the weekend when Yonhap news agency reported that he is under investigation for alleged treason.
On the previous day, prosecutors arrested former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun for his alleged involvement in the declaration of martial law on December 3, according to Yonhap.
On December 3, Mr. Yoon authorized the military to assume extensive emergency powers to combat what he termed “anti-state forces” and obstructive political opponents, only to revoke the order six hours later after parliament defied military and police barriers and voted unanimously against the decree.
In light of the backlash, numerous military officials, including the acting defense minister, have declared they would not adhere to any new orders to impose martial law.
The main opposition party, the Democratic Party, has demanded that Mr. Yoon be stripped of his military control and called for the arrest of him and any military officials involved in the martial law mishap.
Soldiers were seen departing the National Assembly last week after the parliament voted to revoke Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration just hours after it was announced.
The PPP has initiated a task force to address, among other concerns, “political stabilization following martial law and (Yoon’s) orderly early resignation,” as noted by a spokesperson.
PPP leader Han Dong-hoon stated that the president would be excluded from foreign and other state matters, with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo taking charge of government affairs until Mr. Yoon eventually resigns.
This proposal has faced backlash from the opposition, which argues it is unconstitutional. They assert that Mr. Yoon should either be impeached or resign and confront legal prosecution, planning to introduce another impeachment bill on Saturday.
Chang Young-soo, a professor at the School of Law at Korea University, stated that while the president can delegate authority to the prime minister, especially concerning military control, there remains debate over whether the prime minister can act as the head of state for diplomatic affairs.
“Additionally, unlike a U.S. vice president, a South Korean prime minister is not elected, resulting in weak democratic legitimacy. This raises questions about how long this system can endure,” he noted.
Military backlash
Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung warned that this political crisis could inflict irreversible damage on Asia’s fourth-largest economy, a major global supplier of memory chips.
South Korea’s finance ministry and regulators have pledged to make exhaustive efforts to stabilize financial markets through contingency plans and increased liquidity by the end of December.
In a further indication of dissent within the military, the commander of South Korea’s special forces reported that he was given orders to deploy his troops to parliament last week to prevent a vote rejecting martial law.
Colonel Kim Hyun-tae, commander of the 707th Special Missions Group, acknowledged his accountability for his troops’ actions but stated he was following orders from then-defense minister Kim Yong-hyun.
“We were all victims used by the former defense minister,” the colonel told reporters outside the defense ministry in Seoul, adding he refrained from notifying the military of his intention to speak to the media out of fear of being prevented from doing so.
Mr. Yoon’s declaration of emergency rule and the conferral of extensive powers to the military sparked protests in the streets and raised alarms among Seoul’s allies.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin canceled plans to visit South Korea, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken reached out to his South Korean counterpart, expressing expectations for the democratic process to prevail.
The United States maintains 28,500 troops in South Korea as a legacy of the Korean War of 1950-1953.
The unrest in Seoul arises at a critical geopolitical juncture in the region, with North Korea reportedly dispatching troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine amid strengthening military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul expressed sadness that such an incident occurred during a period of escalating security threats facing the nation.
