The South Korean Justice Ministry imposed an overseas travel ban against President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday amid an investigation into allegations of rebellion and other charges over his short-lived martial law declaration.
Yoon had declared martial law last Tuesday, leading to special forces troops being deployed into the streets of Seoul and resulting in political protests.
On Saturday, Yoon escaped an opposition-led effort to impeach him, but the opposition parties pledged to issue a new impeachment motion against him this week.
Bae Sang-up, a Justice Ministry official, said at a parliamentary hearing that it banned Yoon from leaving the country after requests by police, prosecutors and an anti-corruption agency as they expand their investigations into the circumstances surrounding Yoon’s declaration.
A senior National Police Agency officer told local reporters on Monday that police could also detain Yoon if conditions are met.
A sitting South Korean president has immunity from prosecution while in office, but that does not include protecting him from allegations of rebellion or treason.
Former President Park Geun-hye was thrown out of office in 2017 after being impeached by parliament over a corruption scandal. Prosecutors failed to search her office and ended up receiving documents outside the compound because presidential officials refused them entry.
After refusing to meet with prosecutors during her time in office, Park was questioned and arrested after the Constitutional Court approved her impeachment and ruled to dismiss her as president in March 2017.
The main opposition Democratic Party called Yoon’s martial law declaration ‘unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or a coup.’ The party has filed complaints with police against at least nine people, including Yoon and his former defense minister, over the rebellion allegations.
South Korean prosecutors detained former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun on Sunday for allegedly recommending that Yoon declare martial law, making him the first person detained in the martial law case.
The Defense Ministry last week separately suspended three top military commanders over their alleged involvement in imposing martial law.
Yoon, a conservative, apologized on Saturday for the martial law declaration, saying he will not seek to avoid legal or political responsibility for the motion. He said he would allow his party to lead the country through its political turmoil, including matters related to his term in office.
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.’
Yoon’s martial law decree only lasted six hours because the National Assembly, including some members of Yoon’s governing People Power Party, voted to reverse it, forcing Yoon’s Cabinet to lift it.
Governing party leader Han Dong-hun said Sunday his party will push for Yoon’s early and orderly exit from office in a way that minimizes social confusion and that Yoon will not be involved in state affairs, including foreign policy.
During a Monday briefing, the Defense Ministry said Yoon maintains control of the military, which the constitution explicitly reserves for the president.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
