South Korea slaps travel bans on more top officials

SEOUL  — South Korean authorities banned more top officials from leaving the country Tuesday, in the wake of President Yoon Suk -yeol's bungled attempt to impose martial law.

A day after Yoon himself was hit with a travel ban, his party was, meanwhile, forging a "resignation roadmap" that reportedly could see him step down in February or March before fresh elections, while the opposition plans to organise an impeachment vote every Saturday.

Yoon suspended civilian rule a week ago and sent special forces and helicopters to parliament, before lawmakers forced him to rescind the decree in a country assumed to be a stable democracy.

Investigators are probing the president and a cabal of allies -- many from the same school -- for alleged insurrection over the sequence of extraordinary events.

On Tuesday Cho Ji-ho, commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, and two other top police officials became the latest to be barred from foreign travel, police told AFP.

Already under a travel ban are the former defence and interior ministers and martial law commander General Park An-su, who along with other top brass was grilled by lawmakers on Tuesday.

Yoon narrowly survived an impeachment effort in parliament on Saturday as tens of thousands braved freezing temperatures to call for his ouster.

The motion failed after members of Yoon's ruling People Power Party (PPP) walked out of parliament, depriving it of the necessary two-thirds majority.

The offices of ruling party lawmakers were being vandalised, local media said Tuesday, with one image showing a door covered in what appeared to be ketchup and eggs and flour scattered on the floor.

Protesters were also sending condolence flowers to the offices, typically reserved for funerals, to express their opposition to the boycott, with signs that read "insurrection accomplices".

Local police in Seoul's Dobong district told AFP that an unspecified "weapon" was found in front of PPP lawmaker Kim Jae-sub's residence, and he has requested personal protection measures from the police.

All my fault 

Kim Yong-hyun, the former defence minister, was detained on Sunday and late Monday prosecutors filed a formal arrest warrant against him.

Charges included "engaging in critical duties during an insurrection" and "abuse of authority to obstruct the exercise of rights".

A Seoul court will hold a hearing later Tuesday to rule on whether to issue the warrant for Kim, the first court decision to be made related to the martial law chaos.

Kim issued contrite comments Tuesday saying that "all responsibility for this situation lies solely with me".

Kim "deeply apologised" to the South Korean people and said that his subordinates were "merely following my orders and fulfilling their assigned duties", in a statement made through his lawyers.

Kwak Jong-geun, Army Special Warfare Command chief, said Tuesday that he was ordered to stop enough lawmakers from gathering at parliament to vote down Yoon's martial law decree.

"The president called me directly through a secret line. He mentioned that it appears the quorum has not yet been met and instructed me to quickly break down the door and drag out the people [lawmakers] inside," Kwak said.

'Second coup' 

At least several hundred protesters held more rallies on Tuesday evening outside the National Assembly, waving glow sticks and holding signs that read, "Impeach Yoon Suk -yeol, the insurrection criminal."

The PPP says that Yoon, 63, has agreed to hand power to the prime minister and party chief, prompting the opposition to accuse it of a "second coup".

Local media reported on Tuesday that the PPP will announce a "resignation road map" soon in order to head off a new impeachment motion, which the opposition wants to put before lawmakers on Saturday.

The party's task force was also reportedly reviewing two options, including for Yoon to resign in February with an April election, or to step down in March with a vote in May.

With the opposition holding 192 seats in the 300-strong parliament, only eight PPP members need to vote in favour of the new impeachment motion for it to pass.

Last week two PPP lawmakers -- Ahn Cheol-soo and Kim Yea-ji -- voted in favour but on Tuesday two more said they would support the motion this time.

Ahn, a self-made multi-millionaire, trained doctor and software designer, told AFP on Monday that he was booed and heckled at a party meeting.

"The idea that a president responsible for upholding the constitution of the world's 10th largest economy would stage an unconstitutional coup is beyond imagination," Ahn said.