South Korea Slaps Foreign Trip Ban On More Top Officials

In response to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed attempt to impose martial law, South Korean authorities on Tuesday reportedly forbade more senior officials from leaving the country.

His party was creating a “resignation roadmap” that reportedly would allow him to step down in February or March before fresh elections, one day after Yoon himself was subjected to a travel ban.

In a nation believed to be a stable democracy, Yoon suspended civilian rule a week ago and sent special forces and helicopters to parliament.

Over the course of a string of extraordinary events, investigators are looking into the president and a cabal of allies, many of whom are from the same school.

The Yonhap news agency reported that Cho Ji-ho, the commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, and two other top police officials received a ban from all foreign travel on Tuesday.

Former defense and interior ministers General Park An-su, former head of martial law, and former head of counterintelligence Yeo In-hyung are already confined to South Korean territory.

– All my fault –

Former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun was detained on Sunday, and on late Monday, prosecutors issued a formal arrest warrant against him.

“Abuse of authority to obstruct the exercise of rights” and “engaging in critical duties during an insurrection” were two charges.

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The first court decision to be made in connection with the martial law chaos will be heard later on Tuesday in a Seoul court hearing to determine whether to issue the warrant for Kim.

Kim made ironic remarks on Tuesday, saying that she is solely to blame for the situation.

Kim “deeply apologised” to the South Korean people and said that&nbsp, his subordinates were “merely following my orders and fulfilling their assigned duties”, in a statement made through his lawyers.

– ‘ Second coup ‘ –

Tens of thousands of people braved freezing temperatures to demand his ouster on Saturday, but Yoon was only able to survive an impeachment attempt in parliament.

On Monday, several thousand people gathered outside Seoul’s parliament for additional candlelight vigils.

The motion failed after members of Yoon’s own People Power Party (PPP) walked out of parliament, depriving it of the necessary two-thirds majority.

According to the PPP, Yoon, 63, agreed to give power to the party chief and prime minister, provoking the opposition’s accusations of a “second coup.”

A new impeachment motion, which the opposition wants to present to lawmakers on Saturday, will be soon announced by the PPP, according to local media reports on Tuesday.

The party’s task force reportedly considered whether Yoon should step down in March with a vote in May or to run for office in February with an April election.

Source: Channels TV