South Korea’s Ministry of Justice announced on Monday, 9 December, that President Yoon Suk Yeol has been barred from leaving the country, less than a week after he plunged the nation into turmoil by briefly imposing martial law.
On the night of 3 December, Yoon deployed special forces and helicopters to the parliament, an act swiftly countered when lawmakers rejected his decree, forcing him to rescind the order.
Despite narrowly surviving an impeachment motion in parliament on Saturday, amidst massive public protests in freezing temperatures demanding his removal, Yoon remains under mounting scrutiny. Investigations have intensified into his actions and those of his close allies, including a probe into alleged insurrection.
The Ministry of Justice confirmed that Yoon is the first sitting South Korean president to face a travel ban. Similarly, former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun, currently in detention, and ex-interior minister Lee Sang-min have also been placed under travel restrictions for their involvement in last week’s events.
