South Korea's impeached president gets pay rise

Suspended South Korean President Yun Seok-yol will receive an annual salary increase despite his impeachment for briefly imposing martial law in the country, the government said, UNN reports citing the BBC.

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Yoon's salary will increase by 3% to 262.6 million won (USD 179,000), which is in line with the standard for civil servants.

Since his impeachment in December, Yun has resisted attempts to investigate and arrest him for charges of rebellion and abuse of power, leading to a deeper political crisis in the country.

Despite his suspension, Yoon remains in office until the South Korean Constitutional Court upholds his impeachment.

Yun cited threats from "anti-state forces" and North Korea to justify his declaration of martial law. However, it soon became clear that his actions were not caused by external threats, but by his own internal political problems.

News of Yoon's pay raise has drawn criticism from South Koreans, some of whom say they can't believe he's still being paid - let alone given a raise - while he's suspended.

Some on social media pointed out that Yun's 3% salary increase is almost twice the increase in the country's minimum wage.

"The minimum wage increased by 1.7%, and [Yoon] gets 3% for what?" - reads the post on X, which has received thousands of likes.

Han Dok-soo, who became acting president after Yoon's impeachment but has since been impeached by parliament himself, will also receive a 3% increase in his annual salary to 204 million won ($138,000).

For comparison, the President of the United States receives $400,000, and the salary of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is about $209,000.

Earlier this month, Yun's security service prevented investigators from reaching him at the presidential residence. Due to the stalemate, the initial arrest warrant expired at midnight on January 7, but a local court extended it.

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Investigators are preparing for a new attempt to arrest Yun and have requested assistance from the police.

On Monday, authorities said any attempt to arrest Yoon would avoid "any casualties or bloodshed." They also warned that security officials and lawmakers could be arrested if they obstructed the arrest.

Yun's lawyers said that the appointment of police officers and investigators to arrest the president was a "betrayal of the public." They said the arrest warrant was "illegal." They also demanded that members of the arrest team not wear masks to "prevent rioters from entering a state secret facility and posing as police officers.

In the capital Seoul, thousands of people joined large-scale protests both in support of and against Yoon.