South Korea Bars President From Traveling Amid Insurrection Allegations

 South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was banned from traveling out of his country on Monday, as authorities opened investigations into insurrection allegations linked to his failed bid to impose martial law in the country last week.

South Korea’s justice ministry imposed the travel ban after receiving a request from the country’s Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), Yonhap News Agency reported.

The head of the CIO, Oh Dong-woon, told lawmakers that his office is carrying out a thorough investigation—including searches and seizures—targeting Yoon and other alleged offenders on allegations related to treason and insurrection.

Under Korean law, a sitting president is immune from criminal prosecution on all matters except for leading an insurrection or acts of treason.

The Korean National Police Agency said Yoon was booked on Monday in separate cases being investigated by the police and the anti-corruption office on “charges of insurrection, mutiny and abuse of power.”

An official from the police agency told reporters they are prepared to arrest Yoon if needed.

Oh told lawmakers in the national assembly that the CIO was reviewing the possibility of requesting a travel ban against the country’s first lady Kim Keon Hee—who has also faced scrutiny over corruption allegations.

A South Korean parliamentary committee cleared a bill to appoint a special counsel to investigate charges of treason against Yoon on Monday. The opposition Democratic Party which has a large majority in the National Assembly plans to put the bill up for a vote on Tuesday—despite protests and pushback from Yoon’s People Power Party (PPP). The Democratic Party is also calling for Yoon to be stripped of control over the military along with his arrest. No South Korean president has ever been arrested while they are still in office.

On Saturday, Yoon apologized to the country in a televised address, saying: “This declaration of martial law was born out of desperation as the president, the ultimate head of state. But it has caused anxiety and discomfort to the people in the process. I am deeply sorry and would like to sincerely apologize to the people who were shocked. I will not avoid legal and political responsibility in relation to this declaration of martial law. I will entrust my party with measures related to my term in office and the political stability of the country.”

Last week, Yoon announced in a televised he was imposing emergency martial law, accusing members of the opposition of “anti-state activities.” In his speech, Yoon said the move was being taken to “defend the free Republic of Korea” from “North Korean communist forces and to eradicate the shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces” to “protect the free constitutional order.” As part of the move, Yoon ordered the country’s military to crack down on the press by issuing an order banning “fake news, public opinion manipulation, and false propaganda.” The move faced immediate pushback and protests from the public, opposition parties, unions and the national press. The martial law remained in effect for around six hours before the national assembly defied him and voted to lift the order through a majority vote. The opposition Democratic party then moved to impeach Yoon for his actions, but the bid to oust the president failed after lawmakers from the PPP boycotted the vote. The impeachment bid needed support from at least 200 of the assembly’s 300 lawmakers—this meant that aside from the 192 opposition members it needed backing from at least 8 lawmakers from Yoon’s party.