Politics
Crisis in Seoul: Former Acting Presidents Barred from Travel Amid Martial Law Probe
As South Korea nears a pivotal election, ex-acting leaders Han Duck-soo and Choi Sang-mok face scrutiny over their roles in Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed martial law attempt.
In a dramatic twist to South Korea’s ongoing political saga, two former acting presidents—Han Duck-soo and Choi Sang-mok—have been banned from leaving the country. The decision comes amid a deepening investigation into ex-President Yoon Suk-yeol’s controversial declaration of martial law in December 2024, which plunged the nation into constitutional chaos.
Police confirmed this week that Han, a former Prime Minister, and Choi, an ex-Finance and Deputy Prime Minister, were named as suspects in an insurrection case and are under investigation for their roles during the short-lived military deployment. Both men had temporarily assumed presidential duties in the days following the declaration.
Yoon, who claimed the emergency was necessary due to threats from “anti-state and North Korean infiltrators,” ordered armed troops into the capital and parliament. His martial law decree, however, was swiftly overturned by the National Assembly, leading to his impeachment and removal from office last month. The move was condemned across the political spectrum and seen as a grave overreach of executive power.
The special investigation unit grilled Han and Choi for hours, probing their claims that they were unaware of the full scope of Yoon’s intentions. But evidence, including surveillance footage and Cabinet meeting records, reportedly raises questions about their denials.
Han had hoped to revive his political career by running for the presidential nomination of the conservative People Power Party (PPP). However, internal friction within the party and his entanglement in the investigation forced him to withdraw earlier this month. Former labor minister Kim Moon-soo has since emerged as the party’s nominee.
Meanwhile, Yoon faces the most serious charge in South Korea’s legal code: insurrection. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment or even the death penalty, becoming only the third South Korean president found guilty of such a charge following the military coups of 1979.
With national elections set for next week, the political climate remains tense. The country is still grappling with the aftermath of Yoon’s attempt to subvert democratic processes—a moment many fear could have reshaped the nation’s democratic foundation had it not been swiftly blocked.
As the vote looms, the people of South Korea must not only choose their next leader but also reckon with the fragility of democratic safeguards in the face of authoritarian impulses.