Kim Sang-hoon, Deputy Chief of the Presidential Security Service, appeared as a witness at the first hearing of the "Special Committee on the National Assembly Investigation into the December 3 Emergency Martial Law Incident" held at the National Assembly on the 22nd, responding to Chairman Ahn Kyu-baek's request for cooperation in the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's search of the presidential residence. Photo by Kim Hyun-min
The prosecution has requested arrest warrants for Kim Seong-hoon, Deputy Chief of the Presidential Security Service, and others. Deputy Chief Kim is suspected of obstructing the arrest of President Yoon Seok-yeol.
According to the National Police Agency on the 18th, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office filed arrest warrants with the Western District Court the previous day for Deputy Chief Kim and Lee Kwang-woo, Head of the Security Headquarters, following a police request.
Deputy Chief Kim and Head Lee are accused of obstructing the first arrest operation against President Yoon by the police and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (special obstruction of official duties).
They are also suspected of abusing their authority under the Presidential Security Service Act by unfairly disciplining security service executives who did not follow orders to prevent the arrest and instructing the deletion of records from secure phones (confidential phones).
The prosecution had previously rejected the police's arrest warrant requests for Deputy Chief Kim three times. In response, the police applied for a warrant review to the warrant review committee of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, which oversees the Western District Prosecutors' Office. On the 6th, the committee ruled that the warrant request was justified, siding with the police.
Earlier, the prosecution had requested supplementary investigations, noting that there was room for dispute regarding the intentionality of the special obstruction of official duties charges against Deputy Chief Kim and others.
They also pointed out that two security service employees who did not prevent the arrest were later assigned to office work instead of security duties, which was merely a verbal order rather than an official personnel transfer, indicating insufficient evidence for the charges.
Subsequently, the police conducted supplementary investigations targeting security service personnel, refining the reasons necessitating the detention of former Deputy Chief Kim and others, and reapplied for the arrest warrants.
Unlike the previous warrant application, the fact that President Yoon is currently not detained presents a new variable for the police.
Since President Yoon's release on the 8th, Deputy Chief Kim, who has been providing close protection, is expected to argue for the necessity of non-detention, citing the need to protect the sitting president.
There is also speculation that the schedule for the court's pre-arrest suspect hearing (warrant substantive examination) to decide Deputy Chief Kim's detention may coincide with the timing of the ruling on President Yoon's impeachment trial.
For arrested suspects, the warrant substantive examination must be scheduled and conducted without delay, usually the next day. In contrast, for suspects like Deputy Chief Kim who have not been taken into custody, the hearing date is often set with some flexibility, typically 2 to 3 days later or depending on the circumstances of the individual.
The date for the ruling on President Yoon's impeachment trial has not yet been set. There is speculation that it could be designated as early as the 19th and notified to both parties.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
