President Yoon Suk-yeol remains the legal commander-in-chief of South Korean armed forces despite the fallout from his controversial declaration of martial law, Seoul belatedly confirmed on Monday, after his decision to cede power to the ruling party raised questions about who would command the military in a North Korea contingency.

The military command authority “belongs to the president,” defense ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu said at a press briefing on Monday morning.

Pressed about whether it was appropriate for a leader accused of treason to retain military command, Jeon responded: “Legally, the authority remains with the current CIC [commander-in-chief].”

The defense