Police Fail to Secure CCTV at Private Residence, Request Security Office to Explain Reasons for Search Refusal (Comprehensive)

Security Office refuses due to military and official secrets
Police review official letter requesting preservation of CCTV footage from private residence

Amid the police's attempt to conduct a search and seizure at the President's secure residence being thwarted due to the Presidential Security Service's disapproval, the police on the 27th requested, "Please clarify the reasons for refusing the search and seizure."

The Police Emergency Martial Law Special Investigation Unit stated in the afternoon, "We were unable to execute the search warrant to secure CCTV footage from the Samcheong-dong presidential residence," adding, "According to Articles 110 and 111 of the Criminal Procedure Act, except in cases where 'serious harm to national interests' occurs, refusal of consent for search and seizure is not permitted."

Yonhap News

Previously, the Security Service also did not cooperate with the police during two search and seizure attempts on the 11th and 17th of this month, citing the Criminal Procedure Act. As a result, the police failed to secure the 'secret phone server' stored at the Yongsan Presidential Office Security Service as evidence.

Under the Criminal Procedure Act, search and seizure of locations classified as military or official secrets require the consent of the person in charge, and refusal is only allowed in cases of 'serious harm to national interests.' The Security Service is interpreting the search and seizure aimed at uncovering the truth about the emergency martial law situation as 'damaging serious national interests,' thereby refusing the investigative authorities' search and seizure requests.

On this day as well, the police held consultations with the Security Service at the Yongsan Presidential Office for about three hours to obtain approval for the search and seizure of the presidential residence but ultimately failed. A Special Unit official reportedly asked the Security Service, "Please specify why the residence qualifies as official confidential information," and "What constitutes serious harm to national interests?"

The Special Unit maintains that since the warrant's validity period remains, the 'failure of the search and seizure' is not yet confirmed, but it appears unlikely that the Security Service, which has consistently shown an uncooperative attitude, will change its position.

Earlier, Police Commissioner Jo Ji-ho and Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Kim Bong-sik met President Yoon at the residence three hours before the martial law declaration on the 3rd of this month and received documents containing instructions related to martial law. On the day martial law was lifted, the 4th, four individuals?Minister of Justice Park Seong-jae, Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Kim Ju-hyun of the Presidential Office, Director Lee Wan-gyu of the Ministry of Government Legislation, and former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min?held a meeting with President Yoon.

The police attempted search and seizure operations on the 11th at the Yongsan Presidential Office and Joint Chiefs of Staff, and on the 17th at the Security Service servers within the Presidential Office building, but these also failed due to the Security Service's refusal to approve. The police are considering sending an official letter to the Security Service requesting preservation of the presidential residence CCTV data.