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South Korea’s suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol will receive his annual pay rise despite his impeachment for briefly placing the country under martial law, the government has said.

Yoon’s salary will increase by 3% to Ksh23.1 million annually in line with the standard for government officials.

Since his impeachment in December, Yoon has resisted attempts to investigate and arrest him for alleged insurrection and abuse of power, placing the country deeper in political turmoil.

While suspended from his duties, Yoon remains in office until South Korea’s constitutional court upholds his impeachment.

Yoon cited threats from “anti-state forces” and North Korea to justify his martial law declaration. However, it soon became clear that his move had been spurred not by external threats but by his own domestic political troubles.

Criticism

News of Yoon’s salary increase has drawn criticism among South Koreans, some of whom say they cannot believe he is still getting paid – let alone getting an increment – while he is suspended.

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

“Minimum wage increased by 1.7% while [Yoon gets] 3% for what?” reads a post on X which has received thousands of likes.

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 are preparing for another attempt to arrest Yoon and have requested assistance from the police.

On Monday, authorities said any attempt to arrest Yoon would make sure to avoid “any casualties or bloodshed”. They also warned that security staff and lawmakers could be arrested if they obstruct the arrest.

Martial law

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

They also demanded that personnel on the arrest team not wear a mask to “prevent rioters from breaking into a national secret site and impersonating police officers”.

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

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

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 Ksh17.9 million.

For comparison, the US president is paid Ksh51.7 million and the UK Prime Minister’s salary is around Ksh27.05 million.