South Korea: Overseas travels of President Yoon Suk Yeol ‘banned’, say reports

Virendra Pandit

New Delhi: Embattled South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is still facing impeachment demands, now faces an overseas travel ban as police investigate rebellion charges related to his last week’s martial law declaration which he was forced to withdraw within six hours.

South Korea’s corruption investigation chief has ordered a travel ban on President Yoon over the martial law decree, as part of the ongoing investigations, including possible rebellion charges over his brief imposition of martial law last week, the media reported on Monday.

South Korea is passing through severe political unrest after the President imposed emergency and martial law last Tuesday, sending armed troops onto the streets of Seoul. However, popular revolt and the soldiers’ disinterest forced him to withdraw the orders.

He escaped an impeachment attempt sponsored by the opposition on Sunday when the majority of legislators from the ruling party did not participate in a floor vote. However, the opposition parties promised to file a fresh petition of impeachment against him this week.

Police were contemplating preventing Yoon from leaving the nation as they looked into the rebellion allegations, according to a report published by Yonhap news agency on Monday. Other media outlets carried similar stories.

The main opposition, the Democratic Party, called Yoon’s martial law imposition “unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or a coup.” It has filed complaints with police against at least nine people, including the President and the former defense minister, over the alleged rebellion.

While the president mostly has immunity from prosecution while in office, that does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.

Former Defence Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who reportedly advised President Yoon to impose martial law, was arrested by South Korean authorities on Sunday. He was the first individual to be arrested in connection with the martial law case.

According to the Defence Ministry, three senior military leaders have been suspended separately for allegedly participating in the imposition of martial law. They were among those accused of insurrection by the opposition.

Yoon apologized on Saturday for declaring martial law and stated that he would not avoid political or legal accountability for the decision. He said that his party would be in charge of navigating the nation’s political unrest, “including matters related to my term in office.”

Since taking office in 2022 for a single five-year term, Yoon has struggled to push his agenda through an opposition-controlled parliament and grappled with low approval ratings amid scandals involving himself and his wife. In his martial law announcement on Tuesday night, Yoon called parliament a “den of criminals” bogging down state affairs and vowed to eliminate “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces.”