South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is still commander in chief and there is no disruption to the U.S. alliance, the defence ministry said on Monday after it was revealed Yoon was under criminal investigation for declaring martial law last week.
Yoon’s grip on power has come into question with dissent growing among senior military officers against the president, and his own party saying it would establish a task force to handle his eventual resignation.
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 U.S. ally into a constitutional crisis.
Yoon has refused calls, including some from within his own ruling party, to resign, but his future looked more uncertain over the weekend when Yonhap news agency reported he was under criminal investigation for alleged treason.
Police were also considering banning him from leaving the country, Yonhap and other media reported on Monday.
Prosecutors on Sunday arrested ex-Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun over his alleged role in the declaration of martial law, Yonhap reported.
Yoon gave the military sweeping emergency powers on Dec. 3 to root out what he called “anti-state forces” and obstructionist political opponents. He rescinded the order six hours later, after parliament defied military and police cordons to vote unanimously against the decree.
