Did Subangsa Soldiers Get Deployed for President Yoon's Security? [Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club]

Special Unit "Confirmed that Regular Soldiers Were Mobilized"
Security Office "Staff Replaced... and Soldiers Assigned to Rear Duty"

There is an ongoing dispute over whether the Army Capital Defense Command's 55th Security Battalion was involved during the execution of the arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-yeol. If soldiers from the 55th Security Battalion were deployed, the Presidential Security Service would inevitably face criticism for deploying conscripted soldiers fulfilling their national defense duties as if they were 'private soldiers' protecting the President.

Yonhap News

On the 7th, a representative of the Special Investigation Unit of the National Investigation Headquarters stated at a briefing the previous day, "Based on the evidence currently collected, it has been confirmed that ordinary soldiers were mobilized to some extent," adding, "We cannot disclose the exact number of personnel."

The police elaborated on the units deployed, saying, "Two units stationed near the Presidential residence." This is interpreted as referring to the Capital Defense Command's 55th Security Battalion, responsible for outer perimeter security of the Presidential residence, and the 33rd Military Police Security Unit. The military personnel presumed to be soldiers in the collected footage did not display rank insignia and were all uniformly dressed in black padded jackets, hats, and masks.

In response, the Presidential Security Service stated on the 7th that the claims were groundless. The Security Service explained, "The residence area is a military protection facility where soldiers are normally stationed during peacetime; however, at the time of the Corruption Investigation Office's arrival, to prepare for potential escalation, Security Service personnel replaced the soldiers, who were then reassigned to rear duties."

Ministry of National Defense on the First Day of Standoff: "No Control"

Amid growing disputes, the Ministry of National Defense changed its stance regarding control over the 55th Security Battalion. When the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials attempted to execute the arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 3rd, leading to a standoff with military units, the Ministry of National Defense drew a line, stating it was outside their control.

At the time, Jeon Ha-gyu, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, told reporters, "The military personnel (55th Security Battalion) supporting the outer perimeter security of the residence are controlled by the Presidential Security Service," adding, "The Ministry of National Defense cannot confirm the exact situation." Regarding criticism that conscripted soldiers were deployed in acts subject to criminal punishment, Jeon said, "Whether they were deployed in illegal situations needs to be verified with evidence," and "The Ministry of National Defense is not clearly aware of what happened on the ground today."

As Controversy Grows, Deputy Minister of Defense Says "Deployment of Troops Not Appropriate"

However, as the controversy intensified, Kim Seon-ho, acting Minister of National Defense (Deputy Minister), conveyed to the Presidential Security Service on the 4th that "It is not appropriate to deploy military personnel to obstruct the execution of the Corruption Investigation Office's arrest warrant." This implies that cooperation in control could have been possible.

Meanwhile, the Army Capital Defense Command's 55th Security Battalion is responsible for guarding the Presidential residence in Hannam-dong, while the 33rd Military Police Security Unit handles protection of key figures. Both units operate under the operational command of the Presidential Security Service. The 55th Security Battalion is also a unit connected to former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun and former Intelligence Command Commander Noh Sang-won, who led the martial law. In 1989, Kim, then a major and operations officer of the 55th Security Battalion, served alongside Noh, who was a captain. Even then, the 55th Security Battalion, though part of the Capital Defense Command guarding the Blue House fence, was operated almost as a direct unit of the Presidential Security Office.