By Abiola Olawale
In a dramatic twist of events, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol found himself barred from departing the country on Monday, as announced by the justice ministry.
This decision came just days after the country was plunged into a political crisis on December 3, when Yoon’s decision to briefly impose martial law sent shockwaves through the nation.
The president deployed special forces and helicopters to the parliament. However, Yoon’s plan unravelled when lawmakers, standing firmly in opposition, swiftly rejected his decree, compelling him to rescind the order.
The President would later survive an impeachment motion in parliament last Saturday.
In the latest development, the Ministry of Justice 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, General Park An-su, the officer in charge of the martial law operation, and defence counterintelligence commander Yeo In-hyung are barred from leaving the country.
