South Korea’s justice ministry ordered a travel ban for president Yoon Suk Yeol during an investigation into his brief declaration of martial law.
Mr Yoon, who was still the commander-in-chief of the country’s military, faces an investigation for suspected treason over last week’s martial law declaration.
South Korean police, prosecutors and anti-corruption agency had requested the ban as they expand their probes into possible rebellion charges over Mr Yoon’s imposition of martial law last week.
Mr Yoon had said he entrusted his fate to the ruling party after a botched attempt to impose martial lawprompted calls for resignation and impeachment.
Prosecutors on Sunday named Mr Yoon as the subject of a criminal investigation after his attempt to put the country under martial law led to insurrection charges.
Prosecutors also detained Kim Yong Hyun, who reportedly advised the president to declare martial law and resigned as defence minister soon after.
The control of the armed forces “currently lies with the commander-in-chief”, Yonhap quoted the defence ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyou as saying.
Meanwhile, Mr Yoon has been banned from foreign travel, a justice ministry official told a parliament committee hearing on Monday. Mr Yoon declared martial law late on Tuesday evening, only to see lawmakers overturn it through a parliamentary vote. Some of the lawmakers climbed over walls and pushed past soldiers deployed at the National Assembly to cast their votes.
The martial law decree was lifted by the cabinet early on Wednesday but political turmoil in the East Asian country continued as lawmakers pressed for the president’s ouster.
Mr Yoon survived an impeachment vote on Saturday after his party’s lawmakers boycotted it. But the leader of the ruling People Power Party, Han Dong Hoon, declared during a joint public address with prime minister Han Duck Soo that the president would be “excluded from his duties”.
The opposition said it would bring a new impeachment bill against Mr Yoon on 11 December, and put it to a vote three days later.
Mr Han said on Sunday that the president would step away from state affairs and diplomacy until he left office. He also claimed that stepping aside from state affairs would include his control over the military.
Mr Yoon issued an apology over his martial law decree, and claimed that he would not shirk legal or political responsibility for the decision. He said he would leave it to his party to chart a course through the country’s political turmoil, “including matters related to my term in office”.
The main opposition Democratic Party called Mr Yoon’s martial law imposition “unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or a coup”, and filed complaints with police against at least nine people, including the president and his former defence minister, over the alleged rebellion.
The defence minister was the first person to be held over the declaration.
Since taking office in 2022 for a single five-year term, Mr Yoon has struggled to push his agenda through an opposition-controlled parliament and grappled with low approval ratings amid scandals involving himself and his wife.
If he leaves office before his single term ends in May 2027, the constitution requires a presidential election to be held within 60.
Martial law has been declared more than a dozen times since South Korea was established as a republic in 1948, the last time in 1980.