Suspended President Yoon gets a raise

Deposed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will receive an annual salary increase despite being indicted for placing the country under martial law, the government said.

Yoon’s salary will rise by 3% to 262.6 million won ($179,000; £147,000), in line with the norm for government officials.

Since his impeachment in December, Yoon has faced investigations and arrests for alleged rebellion and abuse of power, plunging the country deeper into political turmoil.

While suspended from his duties, Yoon remains in office until South Korea’s Constitutional Court upholds his challenge.

Yoon cited threats from “anti-state forces” and North Korea to justify his declaration of martial law. However, it soon became clear that his movement was not motivated by external threats, but by his own internal political problems.

News of Yoon’s pay rise has sparked criticism among South Koreans, some of whom say they can’t believe he’s still getting paid, let alone getting a raise, while suspended.

Some on social media pointed out that Yoon’s 3% salary increase is almost double the increase in the country’s minimum wage.

“Minimum wage increased by 1.7%, and (Yoon) gets 3% for what?” He reads a post that has had thousands of likes on X.

Earlier this month, Yoon’s security he prevented the investigator from reaching him in the seat of the presidency. The initial arrest warrant in the standoff expired at midnight on January 7, but was extended by a local court.

Investigators are preparing for another attempt to arrest Yoon and have asked the police for help.

On Monday, authorities said any attempt to arrest Yoon would ensure “no deaths or bloodshed” are avoided. They also warned that security personnel and members of parliament could be arrested if they obstruct the arrest.

Yoon’s lawyers said assigning police and investigators to arrest the president was a “betrayal of the public.” They claimed that the arrest warrant was “illegal”.

They also demanded that the staff of the arresting team not wear masks, so that “accidents do not enter a national secret area and do not identify the police”.

In the capital Seoul, thousands have joined large protests, both for and against Yoon.

While his critics want to see the disgraced president impeached and arrested for his attempted martial law, Yoon’s supporters see his short-lived martial law order as justified to protect South Korea’s democracy.

Han Duck-sook, who became acting president after Yoon’s impeachment but has since been impeached by the parliament itself, will get a 3% annual salary increase to 204 million won ($138,000; £114,000).

By comparison, the US president is paid $400,000 (£329,000) and Salary of UK Prime Minister It’s around £172,000 ($209,000).