South Korea imposes travel ban on president for martial law decree

The head of South Korea's high-ranking official corruption investigation office has ordered a travel ban for President Yoon Suk Yeol who is under investigation for his declaration of martial law last week, Yonhap news agency has reported.

A justice ministry official told a parliament committee hearing on Monday that President Yoon has been banned from foreign travel.

South Korean police, prosecutors and anti-corruption agencies had requested the ban as they expand their probes into possible rebellion charges over Yoon’s imposition of martial law last week.

On Saturday, Yoon avoided an opposition-led bid to impeach him, with most governing party lawmakers boycotting a parliamentary vote. But the opposition parties vowed to submit a new impeachment motion against him this week.

On Monday, a senior National Police Agency officer told local reporters that police can also detain Yoon if conditions are met.

While a sitting South Korean president has immunity from prosecution while in office, that does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.

This means that Yoon can be questioned and detained by police over his martial law decree, but many observers doubt that police will forcefully detain him or search his office because of the potential for clashes with his presidential security service.

To be impeached or not

In the case of former President Park Geun-hye, who 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 turned them away.

After refusing to meet with prosecutors while in office, Park underwent questioning by them and was 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 imposition “unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or a coup.” It has filed complaints with police against at least nine people, including Yoon and his former defence minister, over the rebellion allegations.

South Korean prosecutors on Sunday detained former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who allegedly recommended that Yoon declare martial law. He became the first person detained in the martial law case.

The Defence Ministry last week separately suspended three top military commanders over their alleged involvement in imposing martial law. They were among those facing the opposition-raised rebellion allegations.