Yoon Suk Yeol, the government’s suspended president, will still receive his yearly pay raise despite being impeached for briefly putting the nation under martial law, according to the government.
Yoon’s salary will increase by 3 % to 262.6 million won ($ 179, 000, £147, 000 ), in line with the standard for government officials.
Yoon has resisted pursuing an investigation and jail him for alleged rebellion and abuse of power since his impeachment in December, which has further exacerbated the political unrest in the nation.
While suspended from his jobs, Yoon remains in business until South Korea’s constitutional court upholds his impeachment.
Yoon cited risks from “anti-state causes” and North Korea to defend his military law charter. But, it soon became clear that his decision had been motivated by his own private social problems rather than by external threats.
Some South Koreans claim they can’t feel Yoon is also getting paid, let alone getting an increase, while he is suspended, despite the information of his salary increase.
Some on social media pointed out that the Yoon’s 3 % salary increase is nearly twice the national minimum wage’s increase.
” Minimum wage increased by 1.7 % while]Yoon gets ] 3 % for what”? reads a blog that has received a lot of enjoys on X.
Earlier this month, Yoon’s security blocked investigators from reaching him at the presidential residence. The stalemate saw an initial arrest warrant expire at midnight on 7 January, but a local court extended it.
Investigators have requested help from the police in preparation for a second attempt to apprehend Yoon.
Authorities said on Monday that any Yoon arrest attempt would ensure the prevention of “any deaths or unrest.” Additionally, they cautioned lawmakers and security personnel who obstruct the imprisonment may be detained.
According to Yoon’s attorneys, using officers and investigators to assault the president was considered a “betrayal of the public.” They asserted that the arrest warrant was unlawful.
In order to “prevent protesters from breaking into a nationwide key page and impersonating police officers,” they also demanded that members of the arrest group do not wear a helmet.
In the cash Seoul, dozens have joined large-scale demonstrations, both in support of and against Yoon.
Yoon supporters view his brief-lived martial law attempt as determined in order to defend South Korea’s politics, while his critics want the disgraced president to be impeached and detained for his attempted martial law.
Han Duck-soo, who became acting president after Yoon’s impeachment but has since been impeached by parliament himself, will also see his annual salary increase by 3 % to 204 million won ($ 138, 000, £114, 000 ).
For comparison, the US president is paid $400,000 (£329,000) and the UK Prime Minister’s salary is around £172,000 ($209,000).