Suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will receive his annual salary increase despite being impeached for briefly placing the country under martial law, the government announced.
Yoon’s salary will increase by 3 percent to 262.6 million won ($179,000; £147,000), in line with standards for government civil servants.
Since his impeachment in December, Yoon has resisted attempts to investigate and arrest him for alleged insurrection and abuse of power, plunging the country further into political turmoil.
Although suspended from office, Yoon remains in office until the South Korean Constitutional Court upholds his removal.
Yoon cited threats from “anti-state forces” and North Korea to justify his declaration of martial law. However, it soon became clear that his decision had not been motivated by external threats but by his own domestic political problems.
News of Yoon’s pay raise has sparked criticism among South Koreans, some of whom say they can’t believe he’s still being paid – let alone receiving a raise – while he is suspended.
Some on social media pointed out that Yoon’s 3% salary increase is almost double the increase in the country’s minimum wage.
“The minimum wage increased by 1.7% while (Yoon receives) 3% for what?” reads an article on X which received thousands of likes.
Earlier this month, Yoon’s security prevented investigators from reaching him at the presidential residence. The standoff saw an initial arrest warrant expire at midnight on January 7, but a local court extended it.
Investigators are preparing for another attempt to arrest Yoon and have requested police assistance.
On Monday, authorities said any attempt to arrest Yoon would ensure “no casualties or bloodshed” were avoided. They also warned that security personnel and lawmakers could be arrested if they obstructed the arrest.
Yoon’s lawyers said subpoenaing police and investigators to arrest the president was “a betrayal of the public.” They claimed the arrest warrant was “illegal.”
They also demanded that members of the arrest team not wear masks to “prevent rioters from breaking into a national secret site and posing as police officers.”
In the capital Seoul, thousands of people took part in large-scale protests, both for and against Yoon.
While his detractors 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-soo, who became interim president after Yoon’s impeachment but has since been impeached by Parliament himself, will also see his annual salary increase by 3 percent, to 204 million won ($138,000; 114,000 pounds). sterling).
For comparison, the US president receives $400,000 (£329,000) and the UK prime minister’s salary is around £172,000 (£209,000).
