South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been banned from leaving the country after opposition leaders accused his party of staging a “second coup” by refusing to remove him from office over his failed declaration of the martial law last week.
Bae Sang-up, Commissioner of Immigration Services at the Ministry of Justice, confirmed during a parliamentary appearance on Monday that Yoon was subject to a ban on leaving the country.
Yoon’s attempt to end civilian rule last Tuesday lasted just six hours, after deputies clashed with soldiers in the Parliament building before voting to lift the order.
“This is an illegal and unconstitutional act, a second insurrection and a second coup d’état,” declared Park Chan-dae, leader of the opposition Democratic Party, in reference to the boycott of the vote on the no-confidence motion by the ruling Party. of the People’s Power (PPP) and their desperate attempts to keep Yoon in office.
Under the South Korean Constitution, the president remains head of the government and commander-in-chief of the military unless he is incapacitated or resigns.
Senior PPP political officials have claimed that Yoon can continue as president by delegating his powers to the prime minister, an arrangement Park described as a “flagrant constitutional violation with no legal basis.” Opposition parties have promised to table another impeachment motion this week.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported Monday that prosecutors had “booked” Yoon, a process that involves formally naming the subjects of a criminal investigation. Police are reportedly considering banning Yoon from traveling abroad while they investigate his failed attempt to impose martial law.
This Saturday, Yoon apologized for his short-lived attempt to impose martial law and promised to face any legal or political consequences, hours before Parliament voted on his dismissal. Yoon said he was “very sorry” for the decision, which he said was born of desperation, and vowed not to try to impose martial law a second time.
Three opposition parties filed a complaint against Yoon, his former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and martial law commander Park An-su, accusing them of insurrection. The crime of leading an insurrection is punishable by death or life imprisonment.
Kim, who resigned on Wednesday, was considered a central figure in Tuesday’s brief declaration of martial law. A senior military official and documents submitted by opposition members to remove Yoon claimed that Kim had made the proposal to Yoon.
The sabotage of Saturday night’s vote in the National Assembly has led to a political deadlock and uncertainty over who is in control of South Korea, Asia’s fourth-largest economy and a key ally of the United States.
PPP leader Han Dong-hoon declared over the weekend that Yoon would not participate in foreign affairs or other state affairs, and that control of the administration would pass to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.
Han said Yoon’s televised apology was actually a promise to leave office before the end of his term.
But Woo Won-shik, speaker of the National Assembly and a Democratic Party lawmaker, said delegating presidential authority to the prime minister and the ruling party without first removing Yoon was unconstitutional.
On Monday, the Defense Ministry created more confusion by stating that Yoon remained commander-in-chief of the South Korean armed forces.
Han Duck-soo said the government would do everything possible to “maintain trust with allies” – referring to the US and Japan – while experts warned that continued uncertainty could threaten regional stability.
“The leaders of Russia, China and, above all, North Korea are likely to view the political turmoil in South Korea with glee, sensing a geopolitical advantage,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul: “North Korea will probably take a wait-and-see attitude toward these developments, but it cannot be ruled out that Pyongyang will try to exploit divisions in Seoul.”
In an effort to reassure public opinion, several military leaders, including the acting defense minister, have said they would defy any order to impose another round of martial law.
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