Head of the Corruption Investigation Office: "Actions obstructing the execution of Yoon's arrest warrant... raise concerns of flight risk"

Oh Dong-woon, Chief of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Division (PCC), stated on the 9th that actions obstructing the execution of the arrest warrant for President Yoon Seok-yeol are rather raising concerns about potential flight.

On the 9th, during an emergency issue question session at the National Assembly plenary meeting, Oh responded this way when Jo Eun-hee, a member of the People Power Party, pointed out that "the source of the rumors about the president's escape was in fact Chief Oh."

Odongwoon, Chief of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Department. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

Earlier, on the 7th, Oh appeared before the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee, and when Assemblyman Park Beom-gye asked about the possibility of President Yoon fleeing, he replied, "I am considering various possibilities."

On that day, when Assemblyman Jo asked whether the (President Yoon escape rumor) was confirmed as fact, Oh said, "Based on reports from the media and various information from the investigation team, I said there is a possibility." He added, "Regarding the execution of the second arrest warrant, it means we will take thorough measures considering such aspects."

However, when asked if he intended to apologize for mentioning the possibility of President Yoon fleeing, he drew a line by saying, "Not at all." Oh stated, "I perceive actions that block the execution of the arrest warrant on the grounds of invoking security authority as a highly illegal state that shakes the foundation of the rule of law."

He further stated that acts by the security office that obstruct the lawful execution of warrants could constitute obstruction of official duties. He emphasized, "I assert that there is no justification or law that can be used as an excuse to oppose a lawful warrant by invoking security authority." He also explained that acts by multiple members of the National Assembly to block warrant execution are also "applicable to obstruction of official duties."