South Korea’s president banned from leaving the country

Yoon Suk Yeol has been banned from travelling abroad, as police consider charges of insurrection, mutiny and abuse of power after he imposed martial law last week.

Protesters rally against the president outside the National Assembly in Seoul. Picture: Getty Images.

South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol has been banned from travelling abroad, as police consider charges of insurrection, mutiny and abuse of power after he imposed martial law last week.

Mr Yoon sent special forces and helicopters to parliament on the night of December 3 before MPs forced him to rescind the order by rejecting his decree.

The unpopular leader narrowly survived an impeachment motion in parliament on Saturday even as huge crowds braved freezing temperatures to call for his ouster.

Despite remaining in office, a clutch of investigations has been closing in on Mr Yoon and his close allies, including the probe for alleged insurrection.

The ministry of justice confirmed on Monday that Mr Yoon had become the first sitting South Korean president to be banned from leaving the country.

An MP was asked at a parliamentary hearing on Monday whether Mr Yoon had been banned from leaving the country.

“Yes, that’s right,” Bae Sang-up, an immigration services commissioner at the ministry, replied.

Also under travel bans for their roles in last week’s events are former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun – currently in detention – and ex-interior minister Lee Sang-min.

General Park An-su, the officer in charge of the martial law operation, and defence counterintelligence commander Yeo In-hyung are also barred from leaving the country.

Investigators hauled Mr Park in for further questioning on Monday, and Yonhap news agency reported late Monday that prosecutors had asked for a warrant for Mr Kim’s formal arrest.

On Monday (AEDT) it was announced that Mr Yoon would no longer be involved in running the country or diplomacy, as the ruling party’s leader argued the move was made to stabilise state affairs after the country was thrown into chaos over the brief imposition of martial law.

Mr Yoon agreed to the arrangement, said Han Dong-hoon, the head of the conservative People Power Party, in a Sunday morning address. The party, Mr Han added, would seek an “orderly early retreat” for Yoon, whom roughly three-quarters of South Koreans want to see gone.

Before Mr Yoon steps aside, Mr Han said, “the president will not be involved in governance, including foreign affairs.” He called Mr Yoon unfit to lead after the martial-law order.

In the interim, the party – in co-ordination with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo – would handle “livelihood issues and state affairs,” Han Dong-hoon said. He didn’t offer concrete details on how or when Mr Yoon would be removed or other steps. South Korea’s main government ministries on Sunday didn’t offer clarity on who was ultimately in charge.

It isn’t clear what, if any, legal basis this arrangement may have. The sitting president of South Korea is effectively sidelined. The opposition Democratic Party blasted the move as illegal.

“It is clearly unconstitutional for the prime minister and the ruling party to jointly exercise the president’s authority that no one has granted them without participating in constitutional procedure,” said Woo Won-shik, the National Assembly speaker.

The apparent shake-up followed Mr Yoon’s survival of a Saturday impeachment vote, with turnout failing to hit a quorum after ruling-party politicians walked out. The opposition parties said they would call a National Assembly motion to impeach Mr Yoon every week until they are successful, with the next vote planned for Dec. 14.

Meanwhile, legal scrutiny of Mr Yoon’s declaration of martial law started to expand. Prosecutors on Sunday arrested the country’s recently resigned defence minister, Kim Yong-hyun. Seoul’s military had said Mr Kim had proposed the idea of martial law to Mr Yoon.

The 65-year-old Mr Kim had voluntarily gone in to be questioned overnight by prosecutors looking into allegations of insurrection and other charges.

Mr Kim is the first prominent South Korean official to be detained over Mr Yoon’s stunning move to enact emergency powers exerting military control over the country’s political activities, media and health services.

Prosecutors said Mr Kim would co-operate with the investigation. A law firm representing him didn’t respond to a request for comment.

In South Korea, law enforcement can detain individuals under investigation without an arrest warrant if they are considered a flight risk or a threat to evidence. Prosecutors said they would seek a formal warrant within 48 hours to keep Kim behind bars longer as the investigation against him unfolds. If a judge rejects the request, Kim will be released.

In a televised briefing on Sunday afternoon, senior prosecutor Park Se-hyun said a special unit of 62 prosecutors, investigators and military prosecutors would conduct an investigation into the former defence minister for his role in Mr Yoon’s martial-law declaration.

Park also named Mr Yoon as an investigation target for abuse of power, as well as treason – one of the rare charges that doesn’t carry presidential immunity.

South Korea recently established two separate special investigative units, one staffed by prosecutors and the other by police, who are looking into various legal complaints filed against Mr Yoon and others tied to the martial-law move. The special unit of prosecutors was the group that detained the former defence minister.

Dow Jones, AFP