South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol has been barred from leaving the country, the Ministry of Justice confirmed on Monday.
According to the AFP, the travel restriction comes less than a week after his brief imposition of martial law plunged the nation into political turmoil.
On December 3, Yoon deployed special forces and helicopters to the National Assembly, but lawmakers swiftly overturned his decree.
Despite narrowly surviving an impeachment vote on Saturday, Yoon now faces mounting legal challenges, including a probe into alleged insurrection.
During a parliamentary hearing on Monday, Bae Sang-up, an immigration services official, confirmed that Yoon is prohibited from traveling abroad. “Yes, that’s correct,” Bae said when questioned about the ban.
Others involved in the controversial martial law order, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-Hyun and ex-Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, are also subject to travel bans.
Kim is currently in detention, while General Park An-su, who oversaw the operation, and Defense Counterintelligence Commander Yeo In-hyung, are being investigated further.
Critics argue that Yoon’s response to the crisis has created a constitutional crisis. Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae described Yoon’s actions as a “second insurrection and a second coup.”
Under South Korea’s constitution, the president retains authority unless incapacitated or removed through resignation or impeachment. Opposition leaders claim Yoon’s decision to delegate powers to his party’s prime minister and leader violates constitutional norms.
“This is a blatant constitutional violation with no legal basis,” said Park, adding, “Their attitude of placing themselves above the constitution mirrors that of insurrectionist Yoon Suk Yeol.”
Despite calls for his resignation, Yoon remains commander-in-chief, according to the Ministry of Defense. “Legally, control of military forces currently lies with the commander-in-chief,” said ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-Kyou.
Yoon has apologized for the chaos caused by the martial law declaration but refused to resign. “I will accept full political and legal responsibility for my actions,” he stated, pledging to let his party decide his political future.
However, constitutional law experts have raised concerns over the legality of Yoon’s decision to hand over his powers without stepping down. “This resembles an unconstitutional soft coup,” said Kim Hae-won, a professor at Pusan National University Law School.
The opposition party plans to launch another impeachment vote on Saturday, with Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-Myung promising continued pressure on Yoon. “We cannot allow this unconstitutional behavior to go unchallenged,” Lee said.
