Travel ban on South Korea’s Yoon amid investigation into his martial law decree

Yoon Suk Yeol still the commander-in-chief of South Korea‘s military, defence ministry says

South Korea’s justice ministry has imposed a travel ban on president Yoon Suk Yeol while an investigation into his brief declaration of martial law is ongoing.

Mr Yoon, who was still the commander-in-chief of the country’s military, faces an investigation for suspected treason over last week’s martial law declaration.

South Korea’s police, prosecutors and anti-corruption agency have requested the ban as they expand their probes into possible rebellion charges.

Mr Yoon had said he entrusted his fate to the ruling party after a botched attempt to impose martial law prompted calls for resignation and impeachment.

Prosecutors also detained Kim Yong Hyun, who reportedly advised the president to declare martial law and resigned as defence minister soon after.

The control of the armed forces “currently lies with the commander-in-chief”, the Yonhap news agency quoted the defence ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyou as saying.

Meanwhile, Mr Yoon has been banned from foreign travel, a justice ministry official told a parliament committee hearing on Monday.

Mr Yoon declared martial law late on Tuesday evening, only to see lawmakers overturn it through a parliamentary vote. Some of the lawmakers climbed over walls and pushed past soldiers deployed at the National Assembly to cast their votes.

A participant wearing a mask of South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol attends a rally demanding his impeachment outside the National Assembly in Seoul (AP)

The martial law decree was lifted by the cabinet early on Wednesday but political turmoil in the country continued as lawmakers pressed for the president to be ousted.

Mr Yoon also survived an impeachment vote on Saturday after his party’s lawmakers boycotted it. But the leader of the ruling People Power Party, Han Dong-hoon, declared during a joint public address with prime minister Han Duck-soo that the president would be “excluded from his duties”.

The opposition said it would bring a new impeachment bill against Mr Yoon on 11 December, and put it to a vote three days later.

People hold posters ahead of a rally calling for the impeachment of South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul (Reuters)

Mr Han said on Sunday that the president would step away from state affairs and diplomacy until he left office. He also claimed that stepping aside from state affairs would include his control over the military.

Mr Yoon issued an apology over his martial law decree, and claimed that he would not shirk legal or political responsibility for the decision. He said he would leave it to his party to chart a course through the country’s political turmoil, “including matters related to my term in office”.

The Democratic Party called Mr Yoon’s martial law declaration “unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or a coup”, and filed complaints with police against at least nine people, including the president and his former defence minister, over the alleged rebellion.

The defence minister was the first person to be held over the declaration.

Since taking office in 2022 for a single five-year term, Mr Yoon has struggled to push his agenda through an opposition-controlled parliament and grappled with low approval ratings amid scandals involving himself and his wife.

If he leaves office before his single term ends in May 2027, the constitution requires a presidential election to be held within 60 days.

Martial law has been declared more than a dozen times since South Korea was established as a republic in 1948, the last time in 1980.