Park Gyuntaek: "The Security Office is not Yoon's private soldiers... They should not run towards becoming criminals"

"Yoon's Letter, Incitement to Obstruction of Special Official Duties"

The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (HCIC) has initiated the execution of an arrest warrant against President Yoon Seok-yeol, while Park Gyuntaek, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, urged the Presidential Security Service, saying, "You are not President Yoon's private soldiers or aides," calling for cooperation.

On the 3rd, when the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency attempted to execute an arrest warrant for President Yoon Seok-yeol, supporters of President Yoon Seok-yeol were struggling with the police at the entrance of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 3rd, Park appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and said, "The head of the security service and the security personnel must clearly recognize their status and duties," adding, "They must remember that they are public officials and government employees operating within the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Korea. This is related to their own fate, but I hope they do not become criminals themselves by getting involved for the sake of a criminal."

The charges currently applied to President Yoon are rebellion leader (ringleader) and abuse of authority obstructing the exercise of rights. However, President Yoon's side argues that the HCIC does not have investigative authority over rebellion charges and that investigating rebellion as a related crime while investigating abuse of authority is not lawful.

In response, Park said, "The HCIC Act includes abuse of authority as a subject of investigation and states that related crimes can be investigated," adding, "Rebellion crimes and this abuse of authority are interconnected crimes and part of the same scheme. Denying this is unreasonable to any legal expert."

He also said, "The fact that a judge issued the warrant itself should be seen as recognizing the investigative authority."

Regarding the letter President Yoon sent to supporters in front of the official residence, Park pointed out, "Isn't this content inciting some crime, asking to commit obstruction of official duties by force of multiple people?" and added, "This corresponds to instigation of special obstruction of official duties. It is instigation of a crime."