South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was banned from leaving the country on Monday, the Justice Ministry said, less than a week after he plunged the country into chaos by briefly imposing martial law.
Yoon sent special forces and helicopters to parliament on the night of Dec 3 before lawmakers forced him to rescind the order by rejecting his decree.
The president narrowly survived an impeachment motion in parliament on Saturday even as huge crowds braved freezing temperatures to call for his resignation.
▲ Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions throw torn papers carrying the names of the ruling party's lawmakers who did not vote at the impeachment motion last week, during a rally in front of the ruling People Power Party's head office in Seoul on Monday. Lee Jin-Man/AP
However, despite remaining in office, a clutch of investigations has been closing in on Yoon and his close allies, including a probe for alleged insurrection.
The Justice Ministry confirmed on Monday that Yoon had become the first sitting South Korean president to be banned from leaving the country.
A lawmaker was asked at a parliamentary hearing on Monday whether Yoon had been banned from leaving the country. "Yes, that's right," Bae Sang-up, an immigration services commissioner at the ministry, replied.
Also under travel bans for their roles in last week's events are former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun — currently in detention — and former interior minister Lee Sang-min.
The impeachment push failed to pass after members of Yoon's own People Power Party walked out of parliament, depriving it of the necessary two-thirds majority.
The PPP says that in exchange, Yoon has agreed to hand power to the prime minister and party chief, prompting howls of protest from the opposition.
"This is an unlawful, unconstitutional act of a second insurrection and a second coup," Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae said on Monday.
Under South Korea's constitution, the president remains head of government and commander in chief of the army unless they are incapacitated, resign or step down. In such a case, power would then be handed to the prime minister on an interim basis until elections could be held.
Claiming that Yoon can remain in office but has delegated his powers to the prime minister and leader of his ruling PPP — who is not an elected official — is "a blatant constitutional violation with no legal basis", Park said.
"Their attitude of placing themselves above the constitution mirrors that of insurrectionist Yoon Suk-yeol," he said.
The Defense Ministry confirmed on Monday that Yoon remained at the head of the country's security apparatus.
"Legally, (control of military forces) currently lies with the commander in chief," Defense Ministry spokesman Jeon Ha-kyou said.
Yoon has apologized for the "anxiety and inconvenience" caused by his declaration of martial law but has not stepped down, saying instead he would entrust decisions about his fate to his party.
He also said he would accept all political and legal responsibility for the martial law fiasco.
