Park Yong-jin "No Need for Courtesy... Yoon Should Be Arrested with Handcuffs and Rope"

"Presidential Privileges Are Not a Matter of National Dignity"
"No One Should Be Exempt Before the Law"
"A President Who Brings Shame to the Country Until the End
Must Be Removed, Arrested, and Isolated Immediately"

The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Division (PCC), which is investigating the 12·3 emergency martial law incident, entered President Yoon Suk-yeol's residence on the 3rd to execute an arrest warrant for the president and has been in a standoff with the Presidential Security Service for several hours. Former Democratic Party lawmaker Park Yong-jin stated, "No one should be exempt before the law," adding, "It is right to handcuff and tie him up with restraints and take him away."

On the morning of the 3rd, as officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) entered the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul, to execute an arrest warrant for President Yoon Seok-yeol, police were stationed in multiple layers guarding the main gate of the residence, with CIO vehicles parked in front. Photo by Heo Young-han

On the 3rd, former lawmaker Park appeared on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' and described the current political situation as "the disappearance of politics, the disappearance of political leadership, and the disappearance of the president." When the host mentioned, "PCC investigators entered the president's residence to execute the warrant, and it seems the Security Service cooperated," Park responded, "It was laughable that the Security Service declared they would block the PCC. The warrant is a clear legal enforcement, so trying to block it is absurd."

Park continued, "No one, including the president, should be exempt before the law, so the Security Service should not forcibly block it either," adding, "The public can see how dangerous Yoon Suk-yeol is, who is almost at the level of a municipal official. It is dangerous for such a person to remain in the presidential office even one more day." He also said, "President Yoon told his supporters to 'come protect me, I am watching on YouTube,' and so on," and added, "I believe it is right to remove, arrest, and isolate a president who continues to disgrace the country in this way as soon as possible."

Former Democratic Party lawmaker Park Yong-jin. SBS

Former lawmaker Park also assessed that it is not a situation to consider the president's honor or national dignity. He criticized, "President Yoon himself has abandoned his face, pride, and status. He incited civil war among the people and sent messages that could cause physical conflict," adding, "Such a person does not deserve to be honored as the sitting president. It is right to handcuff him, tie him up with restraints, and take him away."

On the morning of the same day, the Joint Investigation Headquarters (Joint HQ), composed of the National Police Agency's Special Investigation Unit and the PCC, crossed the blockade line at the Yongsan presidential residence to execute the arrest warrant and approached the residence building, presenting the arrest warrant to the head of the Presidential Security Service. In response, the head of the Security Service opposed, citing the Security Service Act and security zones, refusing to allow the search, leading to a standoff between the Joint HQ and the Security Service.

It is presumed that the 55th Security Battalion of the Army's Defense Command, currently responsible for guarding the residence, is involved. It was reported that regular soldiers from the Defense Command, not the Presidential Security Service, were deployed to block the execution of the arrest warrant. The 55th Security Battalion is a unit responsible for outer perimeter security within the residence. According to the Presidential Security Act, it is assigned to and serves under the Security Service. Therefore, the command and control authority over the 55th Security Battalion lies with the Security Service, and the military itself has no separate authority. Based on the information available so far, it is presumed that instead of Security Service personnel, the unit originally assigned to outer perimeter security was deployed to block the warrant execution.