The Corruption Investigation Office entrusts police with executing Yoon's arrest warrant... Constitutional Court holds first meeting with 8-member panel today

Last Night's Police Letter: "We Will Extend the Period, So Execute"
Yoon Administration's Opposition: "Subcontracted Warrant Execution Is Illegal"
Constitutional Court's 8-Member System Begins... First Hearing on the 14th

The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (HOCIU) has decided to hand over the execution of the arrest warrant for President Yoon Seok-yeol to the police after obtaining an extension for the warrant's validity period. Given that the Presidential Security Service has clearly stated it cannot comply with the execution of the arrest warrant against President Yoon, this move is interpreted as a measure to increase the likelihood of executing the warrant by entrusting it to the police, who have more experience in warrant execution, rather than the limited personnel of the HOCIU.

The Constitutional Court, which is currently hearing the impeachment trial against President Yoon, held its first justices' meeting with eight constitutional justices on the morning of the 6th, ahead of the first hearing scheduled for the 14th, to discuss procedural and substantive issues related to the case.

Odongwoon, Chief of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency, is arriving at the agency's office in the Government Complex Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, on the 6th. The agency sent an official letter the previous day stating that it will delegate the execution of the arrest warrant for President Yoon Seok-yeol to the police. Photo by Jo Yongjun

On that day, a HOCIU official stated, "At around 9 p.m. yesterday, we sent an official letter to the National Police Agency entrusting the execution of the arrest warrant for suspect Yoon Seok-yeol." They also said, "We will apply to the court for an extension of the arrest warrant's validity period within the day." The official letter sent by the HOCIU contained the intention to "extend the validity period of the arrest warrant for President Yoon and instruct the police to execute it."

The HOCIU explained that the letter reflected the wording in the Criminal Procedure Act, which is applied by the HOCIU Act, stating that "when executing a detention or arrest warrant, the police shall act under the direction of the prosecutor," but in substance, it was a request for execution.

The HOCIU clarified that only the execution of the arrest warrant for President Yoon is being entrusted to the police, while investigations, including questioning of President Yoon, will continue to be conducted by the HOCIU. Although the police expressed discomfort internally over the unilateral entrustment of the arrest warrant execution through an official letter containing the term "direction" without prior consultation with the HOCIU, they have begun legal reviews internally.

On the 6th, members affiliated with conservative groups gathered near the Presidential Residence in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, urging opposition to the arrest of President Yoon. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

The arrest warrant for President Yoon, issued by the court on the 31st of last month, expires at midnight on this day. Typically, if the arrest warrant is not executed before its expiration, the investigative agency returns the existing warrant to the court and obtains a reissued warrant with an extended validity period.

HOCIU Chief Oh Dong-woon and Chief Prosecutor Cha Jeong-hyun of the Investigation Division 4, who is in charge of this case, deliberated over the weekend on several options, including re-execution of the arrest warrant, reapplication for the arrest warrant, and pre-detention warrant application, and apparently concluded that it would be difficult to re-execute the warrant issued previously on this day.

After the first arrest attempt failed on the 3rd, Park Jong-jun, head of the Presidential Security Service, stated, "Regarding the execution of the arrest warrant proceeding amid controversies over procedural shortcuts and illegality, the Presidential Security Service, whose raison d'?tre is to ensure the absolute safety of the president, judged that complying would mean abandoning presidential security and dereliction of duty," adding, "We will continue to devote ourselves to securing the safety of the president elected by the people without hesitation."

The Security Service even installed circular barbed wire on mountain paths near the presidential residence in preparation for the execution of the arrest warrant. The passive attitude of Acting President Choi Sang-mook and Acting Commissioner of the National Police Agency Lee Ho-young, who have remained silent on the opposition party's demand to "order the Security Service to cooperate with warrant execution," is also analyzed to have influenced the HOCIU's decision. The National Police Agency has filed charges against Security Service Chief Park and Deputy Chief Kim Seong-hoon for obstruction of official duties.

Yoon Gap-geun, lawyer for President Yoon Seok-yeol, is announcing the position regarding the arrest warrant issued for President Yoon in front of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 31st of last month. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

Meanwhile, President Yoon's side, which has argued that the HOCIU lacks authority to investigate treason under the HOCIU Act and that the arrest warrant application is illegal, strongly opposed the HOCIU's decision to entrust the execution of the arrest warrant to the police, calling it illegal as well.

Yoon's lawyer Yoon Gap-geun said, "The HOCIU's subcontracting of warrant execution is another illegal act," adding, "Watching the HOCIU's investigative behavior without legal grounds raises doubts about its qualifications and capabilities as a state agency."

He continued, "The HOCIU Act only stipulates requesting or transferring cases to other investigative agencies, but there is no provision for entrusting part of an ongoing investigation to another agency," and said, "The HOCIU treats the police as a subordinate agency despite lacking investigative command authority over them, and the police, who desire investigative independence, should reflect on acting according to the HOCIU's wishes." President Yoon's side, which has labeled the HOCIU's investigation and arrest warrant execution as illegal, announced plans to file complaints against about 150 related persons and has already filed complaints with the prosecution against 11 individuals whose identities have been confirmed.

If the police's attempt to execute the arrest warrant fails in the future, the HOCIU is expected to seek to secure custody by applying for a pre-detention warrant against President Yoon. When custody is secured through a detention warrant, the suspect must be brought to trial within 20 days. The prosecution, which previously indicted former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun on charges related to important duties during the internal rebellion, has already completed some fact-finding regarding President Yoon's treason charges related to the current emergency martial law situation. A HOCIU official said on the day, "We are also considering the option of re-transferring the investigation to the prosecution at some stage."

Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court held its first justices' meeting on the morning of the 1st since the inauguration of Justices Jo Han-chang and Jeong Gye-seon. The meeting reportedly discussed issues related to the recent withdrawal by the National Assembly side of the criminal charges such as treason in the impeachment motion, focusing only on constitutional violations related to the declaration of martial law.

The Constitutional Court has scheduled impeachment trial hearings for President Yoon every Tuesday and Thursday, excluding holidays, starting next week, and has designated five hearing dates through July 4. President Yoon may appear in person at the first hearing on the 14th. His lawyer said the day before, "The president plans to appear and express his opinion at an appropriate date."