The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (HCIA) attempted to execute an arrest warrant for President Yoon Seok-yeol on the 3rd but was blocked and failed due to interference from the Presidential Security Service and others. During the standoff lasting over five hours between about 100 warrant execution personnel composed of HCIA and police, and around 200 personnel from the Security Service, physical altercations occurred, and it was confirmed that some of the Security Service personnel were armed with personal firearms.
On the morning of the 3rd, in order to execute an arrest warrant for President Yoon Seok-yeol, officials from the Corruption Investigation Office entered the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul. Police are standing guard in layers in front of the main gate of the residence, and Corruption Investigation Office vehicles are parked ahead. Photo by Heo Young-han
That afternoon, an HCIA official told reporters at the Government Complex Gwacheon, "About 200 Security Service staff and soldiers surrounded us in layers, and more than 10 buses and passenger cars blocked the way, making it impossible to enter," adding, "Some personnel were carrying personal firearms." The warrant execution personnel numbered about 100, including 20 from HCIA and 80 from the police. The troops are presumed to be the 55th Security Unit of the Army Capital Defense Command, responsible for guarding the presidential residence.
The HCIA reportedly attempted to enter the residence from around 8 a.m., and after physical clashes including some scuffles, they broke through the first and second lines of defense and advanced to about 200 meters in front of the residence. This location was not captured on media broadcast footage. An HCIA official said, "Negotiations took place about 200 meters in front of the residence, and three prosecutors went up to the iron gate in front of the residence," adding, "At that moment, the suspect’s (President Yoon’s) lawyers came out." It appears that lawyers Kim Hong-il and Yoon Gap-geun, representing President Yoon, and three HCIA prosecutors attempted negotiations at this site.
However, ultimately, the HCIA failed to directly confront President Yoon. An HCIA official stated, "It was absolutely impossible to enter under the circumstances," and "There were far more personnel (in the standoff) than the execution team, so safety concerns were high." When entry was blocked about 200 meters in front of the residence, only three prosecutors finally entered to attempt negotiations but were prevented by the lawyers, resulting in failure to execute the arrest warrant.
During the HCIA’s attempt to enter the residence that day, it was reported that Park Jong-jun, head of the Security Service, and others personally came out and blocked the way, stating that they were "providing security according to the Security Act." Regarding this, the Joint Emergency Martial Law Investigation Headquarters (JEMLIH), composed of HCIA and police, stated, "We began executing the arrest warrant for President Yoon, but due to illegal obstruction of official duties by the Security Service, we could not complete it," adding, "The head and deputy head of the Security Service have been booked on charges of special obstruction of official duties and have been summoned to appear by tomorrow."
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