The arrest warrant for President Yoon Seok-yeol was executed at 10:33 a.m. on the 15th by the High-ranking Public Officials Crime Investigation Office and the Special Investigation Team of the National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police.
The Corruption Investigation Office and the Special Forces executed the second arrest warrant at around 4 a.m. on this day. In the early stages of the execution, President Yoon’s lawyers and People’s Power Party lawmakers blocked the Corruption Investigation Office and police from executing the warrant, creating a standoff for more than an hour.
About 160 police riot police buses were deployed to execute this arrest warrant, and the police deployed about 54 riot squad units (over 3,200 people) to secure the access road to the official residence. In addition, about 1,000 people, including those with experience from the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s metropolitan investigation team, were gathered as part of the arrest team.
However, contrary to initial expectations, there was no resistance from Secret Service agents as they entered the presidential residence in Hannam-dong in the early morning of this day. Investigators smoothly passed through the first, second, and third barriers consisting of bus barriers.
The first cordon entered by going over the bus with a ladder, and the second cordon passed by bypassing the bus barrier. The third cordon was also blocked by a bus, but entry was possible through the guard post next to the iron gate.
During this process, the Secret Service agents were not visible, and there was no separate interference when the investigators cut the barbed wire installed on the primary cordon.
It was found that the majority of security officers did not attempt to block the execution by staying in the main building of the official residence or taking vacations.
It is reported that the hardliners within the Secret Service, including Deputy Director Kim Seong-hoon and Security Headquarters Director Lee Gwang-woo, had a policy of preventing the execution of warrants even if it meant using force. They reportedly persuaded the security officers several times that they should respond strongly to the execution of illegal warrants, but did not receive a positive response except for some security officers.
Accordingly, the Corruption Investigation Office attempted to arrest Kim Seong-hoon, Deputy Director of the Security Service, and Director Gwang-woo Lee of the Security Service by issuing arrest warrants.
After arriving at the guard post right in front of the official residence, the police and the Corruption Investigation Agency met with Chief of Staff Jeong Jin-seok and Attorney Yoon Gap-geun, President Yoon’s lawyer, and discussed for a long time about executing the arrest warrant.
When the arrest became visible, President Yoon’s side insisted that he appear voluntarily, but the Corruption Investigation Office executed an arrest warrant, saying, “We are not considering it.”
President Yoon left the official residence in a Secret Service vehicle at around 10:35 a.m. and then moved to the Gwacheon Airborne Investigation Office in Gyeonggi Province.
President Yoon said in a statement, “I agree to the arrest to prevent unpleasant bloodshed, but I do not acknowledge the investigation.”
Source: www.nextdaily.co.kr
