South Korea’s suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol will receive his annual raise despite his impeachment for briefly placing the country under martial law, the government has said.
Yoon’s salary will rise 3% to 262.6 million won ($179,000; £147,000), in line with the standard for civil servants.
Since his impeachment in December, Yoon has resisted attempts to investigate and arrest him for alleged sedition and abuse of power, plunging the country deeper into political turmoil.
While suspended from his duties, Yoon will remain 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 problems.
News of Yoon’s pay rise has drawn criticism from South Koreans, some of whom say they can’t believe he’s still getting paid — let alone getting a raise — while 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 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. In the impasse, an initial arrest warrant expired at midnight on January 7, 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 avoid “any casualties or bloodshed”. They also warned that security personnel and lawmakers could be arrested if they prevent the arrest.
Yoon’s lawyers said appointing police officers and investigators to arrest the president was “a betrayal of the public”. They have argued that the warrant was “illegal”.
They also demanded that the staff of the arresting team not wear a mask to “prevent rioters from breaking into a national secret site and posing as 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 attempted martial law, Yoon supporters see his short-lived martial law 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 itself, will also see his annual salary rise by 3% to 204 million won ($138,000; £114,000).
By comparison, the US president is paid $400,000 (£329,000) and The British Prime Minister’s salary is around £172,000 ($209,000).