Police Request Arrest Warrants for 16 Daejinyeon Members Attempting to Enter Presidential Office

The police have requested arrest warrants for members of the Korean University Students Progressive Union (Daejinyeon) who were arrested while attempting to enter the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul.

On the 8th, Woo Jong-su, head of the National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police Agency, stated at a press briefing, "Among the 20 people arrested in flagrante delicto, arrest warrants were requested for 16 individuals considering their degree of involvement in the crime and prior convictions of a similar nature."

The 20 Daejinyeon members are suspected of attempting to enter the Presidential Office around 1 p.m. on the 6th. Eleven of them crossed the checkpoint and entered, while nine were stopped by police in front of the checkpoint and staged a sit-in protest before all were arrested. The police applied charges including trespassing on jointly owned buildings and violations of the Assembly and Demonstration Act.

The National Police Agency is directly investigating allegations that the English questions on the 2023 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) were similar to those in private academy instructors' textbooks. Woo said, "The Serious Crime Investigation Division of the National Police Agency received an investigation request from the Ministry of Education last July and has confirmed and investigated some facts."

He added, "The Board of Audit and Inspection is also conducting the same investigation on this matter," and "Since this could result in duplicate investigations, we plan to observe the audit first before proceeding with the investigation."

Regarding the 'terror threat fax' warning of bombing major domestic facilities, the police are currently working to trace and identify the fax number. Woo stated, "Since international cooperation is required, it is difficult to provide detailed information about the investigation."

Meanwhile, the police explained that they have requested additional appearances from former national soccer team player Hwang Ui-jo, who is accused of illegal filming, and are currently coordinating the dates. Woo said, "It is difficult to specify an exact date, but discussions are ongoing."