The National Assembly of South Korea passed a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol last Saturday (Dec. 14), resulting in his suspension from office. However, his salary, security protection, and protocol privileges remain unchanged for the time being. On Monday (Dec. 16), opposition lawmakers proposed a motion to legislate the cancellation of Yoon's current salary and benefits.
A lawmaker believed there may be legal loopholes, as the law does not specify the suspension of salary payments to an impeached president. They criticized Yoon for ordering martial law, leading to instability in government affairs and potentially undermining the constitutional order, while still retaining presidential benefits including a monthly salary of 21.2 million won (approximately HK$114,000) and various privileges, which they argue does not align with public expectations.
According to the motion, public officials who are impeached by the National Assembly will face the cessation of salary payments, and once the impeachment is approved, they will be restricted from accessing state secrets or information related to their duties. The proposal also states that an impeached president would not receive diplomatic or official passports and would lose exemptions from airport security checks, luggage inspections, and legal immunity for minor offenses committed abroad.
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