Security Office Blocks Execution of Warrants by Corruption Investigation Office
Prevents Arrest of Yoon on 'Non-Prosecution Exception' Treason Charges
Clash Unavoidable... "Law Must Be Amended to Control Security Office"
The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (HCIO) attempted to execute an arrest warrant against President Yoon Seok-yeol on charges of insurrection on the 3rd, but was blocked and is currently in a standoff with the Presidential Security Service. Although the investigation team presented the warrant, Security Chief Park Jong-jun refused the search. As the Security Service does not comply with the court-issued warrant execution, criticism arises that it effectively acts as the president's 'private army,' standing above the law. Experts explain that since the Security Service acts as an obstacle during investigations related to the president, it is necessary to fundamentally block this through legal amendments.
High-ranking officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials executing an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-yeol are entering through the entrance of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the 3rd. Photo by Yonhap News
Regarding the presidential residence, there is a three-layer security system: the outer perimeter is guarded by the 33rd Military Police Unit and the 55th Security Group under the Capital Defense Command, followed by the 101st and 202nd Security Groups under the police, and the closest area is managed by the Security Service. In the case of the Capital Defense Command units, the Security Service commands them. On this day, the investigation team penetrated the military units and approached the residence, but the Security Service reportedly prevented the execution of the arrest warrant, even risking confrontation.
Earlier, when the arrest warrant for President Yoon was issued on December 31 last year, the Security Service stated that "security measures will be carried out according to lawful procedures," which appears to mean they ultimately judged that preventing the arrest was lawful. This aligns with President Yoon's side's position that "the HCIO's warrant execution is illegal and invalid."
During past military regimes, the Security Office produced powerful figures such as Chief of Security Cha Ji-chul (Park Chung-hee administration) and Chief of Security Jang Se-dong (Chun Doo-hwan administration), enjoying immense influence, but its power has continuously weakened since democratization. During the Lee Myung-bak administration, the Security Office (ministerial level) was downgraded to the Security Service (vice-ministerial level) for the first time. It was later upgraded back to the Security Office during the Park Geun-hye administration but was downgraded again to the Security Service under the Moon Jae-in administration, a status that continues to this day.
On the morning of the 3rd, as officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials arrived at the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul, to execute an arrest warrant for President Yoon Seok-yeol, supporters were holding an anti-impeachment rally along the roadside near the residence. Photo by Heo Young-han
However, the Security Service still blocked the Blue House search during the investigation of former President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached over the 'state manipulation' scandal, and also obstructed searches and arrests related to the investigation of President Yoon, who was impeached over the emergency martial law incident.
Voices are emerging calling for measures to control the Security Service in light of this incident. Although the Security Service's principle is to "guarantee the president's absolute safety," many argue that blocking even the lawful execution of warrants by investigative agencies is excessive. Professor Kim Seon-taek of Korea University Law School said, "In accordance with Article 84 of the Constitution, which states that those who commit crimes of insurrection or rebellion can be criminally prosecuted, if an investigative agency obtains a court-issued warrant for insurrection charges and attempts to execute it, the Security Service should comply, and legal amendments are necessary."
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