President of South Korea Restricted from Traveling Abroad Amid Accusations of Rebellion

The South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol, was prohibited from leaving the country by the nation’s Justice Ministry on Monday due to his brief declaration of martial law the week before.

Yoon’s decision last Tuesday, which involved soldiers patrolling in Seoul, created political chaos in the country and raised international concerns.

Authorities are currently investigating the president on various charges, including rebellion.

Over the weekend, Yoon narrowly escaped impeachment as most of the governing party lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary vote.

However, opposition parties have pledged to present another impeachment motion this week.

Bae Sang-up, an official in the Justice Ministry, stated in a parliamentary hearing that the ministry banned Yoon from leaving South Korea following requests from police, prosecutors, and an anti-corruption agency.

While a sitting president is usually immune from prosecution while in office, this immunity does not extend to charges of rebellion or treason.

This means that Yoon can be questioned and detained by the police regarding his martial law declaration; however, there are doubts regarding whether he will be forcibly detained due to potential clashes between police and the presidential security service.

When former President Park Geun-hye was removed from office in 2017 after being impeached due to a corruption scandal, prosecutors had to receive documents outside the compound because presidential officials refused them entry.

Park declined to cooperate with prosecutors while in office but was eventually questioned and arrested following her impeachment approval by the Constitutional Court and subsequent dismissal from office in the same year.

The opposition Democratic Party has labeled Yoon’s brief imposition of martial law as an “unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or coup.”

The party has filed police complaints against at least nine individuals, including Yoon and his former defense minister, for their alleged involvement in the coup attempt.

On Sunday, prosecutors detained former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who reportedly encouraged Yoon to declare martial law, making him the first person detained in connection to the case.

Last week, the Defense Ministry also suspended three top military commanders for their alleged roles in the martial law imposition.

Yoon issued an apology on Saturday regarding the incident, stating that he would not evade legal or political responsibility for the declaration.

He mentioned that he would leave it to his People Power Party (PPP) to navigate the country’s political crisis, including issues related to his term in office.

Since assuming office in 2022 for a single five-year term, Yoon, a conservative, has constantly clashed with his liberal rivals who dominate parliament.

The liberals have pursued several motions to impeach his key officials and have launched a strong political campaign against Yoon due to various scandals involving him and his wife.

When Yoon declared martial law last week, he referred to parliament as a “den of criminals” hindering state affairs, intending to eliminate “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces.”

The martial law decree lasted only six hours as the National Assembly voted it down, compelling Yoon’s Cabinet to lift it before dawn on Dec. 4.

Some members of Yoon’s party initially opposed the decree, but the party later moved to resist impeachment.

Experts believe that Yoon’s party fears losing the presidency to liberals in a by-election if he is removed from office, similar to what occurred after Park’s removal.

PPP leader Han Dong-hun stated over the weekend that the party will advocate for Yoon’s early and orderly exit from office without specifying a timeline. He mentioned that Yoon will not be involved in state affairs, including foreign policy.

In a briefing on Monday, the Defense Ministry stated that Yoon retains control of the military, a power explicitly reserved for the president in South Korea’s constitution.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.