South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hit with travel ban amid martial law probe

Ruling party, PPP, leaders announce Yoon will not participate in foreign and domestic affair

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hit with travel ban amid martial law probe
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hit with travel ban amid martial law probe

South Korea has imposed a travel ban on President Yoon Suk Yeol following his short-lived declaration of martial law.

According to BBC, South Korean authorities banned the travelling of the president as he is under investigation for his martial law declaration on Tuesday, December 3, 2024.

The travelling ban came after Yoon escaped the impeachment vote after his party, the People Power Party (PPP), members walked out of the parliament and boycotted voting.

PPP lawmakers said that they decided not to support the motion after Yoon agreed to shorten his term and not be involved in the matters of the country.

Moreover, PPP leaders in a public address on Sunday, December 8, 2024, announced that President Yoon will now not participate in foreign and domestic affairs until he resigns from his position, and in the meantime, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will manage government affairs in the meantime.

Party leader Han Dong-hoon said, “The president will not be involved in any state affairs, including diplomacy, before his exit.”

Meanwhile, Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae called the plan “an illegal, unconstitutional second insurrection and a second coup." Another representative of the party also criticised the plan and argued that “nobody gave" PPP leaders the power to make such decisions.

The Korea Herald also reported, “The prime minister and the ruling party's announcement that they would jointly exercise the powers of the president, which no one has given them, is clearly unconstitutional.”

Furthermore, a travel ban has been placed on former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun, Defence Counterintelligence Commander Yeo In-hyung, and Army Chief of Staff Park An-su.