South Korea president banned from foreign travel

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been banned from leaving the country over a failed attempt at imposing martial law, a justice ministry official said on Monday, amid growing calls for him to step down and a deepening leadership crisis.

Yoon has apologized for the botched attempt and said he was leaving his political and legal fate to his ruling People Power Party (PPP) but has not resigned. He has become a subject of criminal investigation, according to local media reports.

On Monday, the defense ministry said Yoon was still legally commander in chief, but growing dissent among senior military officers against the president has thrown into question his grip on power, Reuters reported.

Oh Dong-woon, the head of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, said he had barred Yoon from foreign travel, when asked at a parliament hearing what actions have been taken against the president.

A justice ministry official, Bae Sang-up, told the committee the travel ban order had been executed.

The panel was established in 2021 to investigate high-ranking officials including the president and their family members but it does not have authority to prosecute the president. Instead it is by law required to refer the matter to the prosecutors’ office.

While Yoon survived an impeachment vote in parliament on Saturday, his party’s decision to delegate presidential authority to the prime minister has plunged the key US ally into a constitutional crisis.