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South Korean prosecutors have opened an investigation into the country’s president, Yoon Suk Yeol, on charges of treason and abuse of power following his failed attempt to impose martial law.
The probe was confirmed to reporters on Sunday by Park Se-hyun, head of the Seoul High Prosecutor’s Office. Prosecutors have also arrested former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun, who is accused of playing a central role in planning and executing the doomed martial law gambit.
The announcement of the investigation into Yoon followed a statement from Prime Minister Han Duck-soo earlier on Sunday that Yoon would step back from managing affairs of state even while he remained in post.
Han and Han Dong-hoon, the leader of Yoon’s conservative People Power party (PPP), said during a joint appearance on Sunday that Yoon would “not be involved in handling state affairs, including diplomacy” as his cabinet sought to negotiate an “orderly exit”.
Yoon, himself a former chief prosecutor, survived an impeachment attempt on Saturday night, after members of the PPP boycotted the vote amid chaotic scenes in the country’s national assembly.
“The government will do its best to keep the trust of our allies,” the prime minister, who is a Yoon appointee and career technocrat, said. “Most importantly, the approval of the government budget plan and accompanying bills is key to the country’s normal operation.”
The result of Saturday’s vote, which was met with dismay by the hundreds of thousands of people gathered outside parliament, is likely to prolong a mounting political crisis in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
Opposition parties have promised to file the same impeachment motion every week until Yoon resigns or is removed over his failed attempt to impose military rule, during which he dispatched troops to try to stop parliament over-ruling his martial law decree.
Defending his party’s decision to boycott the impeachment vote, PPP leader Han said its leaders would “pursue an orderly resignation from Yoon” in order to “minimise confusion and turmoil”.
Analysts said the PPP’s strategy appeared to be to avoid a split over an impeachment vote, while buying time to prepare for a presidential election that would follow Yoon’s departure.
But they warned the party’s deal with the president, which involved him delivering a terse, televised apology in his only public appearance since withdrawing the martial law decree, was unlikely to quell growing public anger.
Yoon, a staunch pro-American best known in the US for his rendition of “American Pie” at a state dinner in Washington last year, has repaired ties with neighbouring Japan and pursued a more hawkish stance towards North Korea and China than his leftwing predecessor Moon Jae-in.
Western diplomats expect any leftwing successor to unpick burgeoning trilateral military and political co-operation with the US and Japan, pursue a more conciliatory line with North Korea, China and Russia and rule out arms supplies to Ukraine.
