{"id":2207454,"date":"2024-12-09T08:00:04","date_gmt":"2024-12-08T23:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2207454"},"modified":"2024-12-08T19:52:51","modified_gmt":"2024-12-08T10:52:51","slug":"yoon-becomes-first-sitting-south-korean-president-under-treason-investigation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/12\/yoon-becomes-first-sitting-south-korean-president-under-treason-investigation\/","title":{"rendered":"Yoon becomes first sitting South Korean president under treason investigation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prosecutors announced Sunday that President Yoon Suk-yeol has been officially named a <\/span>suspect in a treason investigation<\/span><\/a> related to his short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3. This marks the first time in South Korea\u2019s history that a sitting president is under criminal investigation while still in office.<\/span><\/p>\n

Investigators are now focusing on whether Yoon\u2019s actions violated constitutional provisions and military law, with the Special Investigation Headquarters confirming plans to expand its inquiry into <\/span>other officials<\/span><\/a> involved in the declaration.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yoon stated in a <\/span>public address<\/span><\/a> on Saturday that he would not avoid \u201clegal or political responsibility\u201d for the declaration. As president, his immunity extends to most criminal charges except for treason or insurrection. Opposition lawmakers are intensifying calls for impeachment after Saturday\u2019s impeachment motion failed to pass, demanding Yoon\u2019s immediate suspension from office.<\/span><\/p>\n

WHY IT MATTERS<\/b><\/p>\n

Yoon\u2019s unprecedented status as a sitting president under criminal investigation plunges South Korea into a constitutional and political crisis. Yoon\u2019s supposed exclusion from state affairs \u2014 <\/span>announced<\/span><\/a> by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon \u2014 has been denounced by opposition lawmakers as <\/span>unconstitutional<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Under <\/span>Article 71 of the ROK Constitution<\/span><\/a>, the prime minister or designated State Council members may temporarily assume presidential powers in cases where the president is incapacitated or unable to perform their duties. However, Yoon\u2019s delegation of authority may not meet the constitutional criteria, as he remains in office with full legal authority.<\/span><\/p>\n

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung also <\/span>noted<\/span><\/a> Yoon’s acceptance of interior minister Lee Sang-min\u2019s resignation as evidence that the president continues to exercise his legal authority. Yoon stated during his brief apology on Saturday that he would delegate governance to the PPP and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Han Dong-hoon <\/span>stated<\/span><\/a> that Yoon \u201cwould not interfere in state affairs, including foreign affairs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The lack of clarity over governance raises questions about South Korea\u2019s ability to respond to <\/span>potential security threats<\/span><\/a> or economic shocks.<\/span><\/p>\n

The crisis comes amid heightened market volatility and weakening investor confidence. The Korean won has sunk to a two-year low, and the <\/span>KOSPI<\/span><\/a> has fallen below 2,430 points. Foreign investors have continued selling South Korean equities, citing concerns over policy stability. Finance minister Choi Sang-mok pledged Sunday to inject \u201cunlimited\u201d liquidity and stabilize markets, but prolonged political uncertainty risks compounding economic pressures.<\/span><\/p>\n

Business & Economy<\/span><\/a>Defense & Security<\/span><\/a>Domestic Politics<\/span><\/a>Inter-Korean & Foreign Relations<\/span><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Prosecutors announced Sunday that President Yoon Suk-yeol has been officially named a suspect in a treason investigation related to his short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3. This marks the first time in South Korea\u2019s history that a sitting president is under criminal investigation while still in office. Investigators are now focusing on whether Yoon\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10407,"featured_media":2207455,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[24,26,27,28],"class_list":["post-2207454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-briefings","tag-business-economy","tag-defense-security","tag-domestic-politics","tag-inter-korean-foreign-relations"],"yoast_head":"\nYoon becomes first sitting South Korean president under treason investigation - Korea Pro<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/12\/yoon-becomes-first-sitting-south-korean-president-under-treason-investigation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Yoon becomes first sitting South Korean president under treason investigation - Korea Pro\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Prosecutors announced Sunday that President Yoon Suk-yeol has been officially named a suspect in a treason investigation related to his short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3. This marks the first time in South Korea\u2019s history that a sitting president is under criminal investigation while still in office. 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