Presidential Security Service Cooperates in Second Arrest Warrant Execution for President Yoon | Be Korea-savvy

Presidential Security Service Cooperates in Second Arrest Warrant Execution for President Yoon


On January 15, officers from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the police are seen crossing the second security barrier and entering President Yoon Suk-yeol's residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, to execute the second arrest warrant. (Yonhap)

On January 15, officers from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the police are seen crossing the second security barrier and entering President Yoon Suk-yeol’s residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, to execute the second arrest warrant. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Jan. 15 (Korea Bizwire) —  In a significant shift, South Korea’s Presidential Security Service (PSS) facilitated the execution of a second arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-yeol on January 15, signaling a marked departure from its earlier stance.

This cooperation contrasts starkly with the events of January 3, when PSS agents and soldiers from the Capital Defense Command’s 55th Security Battalion formed a human shield to block investigators from entering the presidential residence.

In the pre-dawn hours of January 15, investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the police encountered no resistance from security personnel as they advanced toward Yoon’s Hannam-dong residence.

The security barriers, composed of buses forming three defensive lines, were smoothly breached. Investigators climbed over the first barricade using ladders, bypassed the second by maneuvering around the bus blockade, and entered through a side post adjacent to a gate to overcome the third.

Notably, PSS agents were absent throughout the process, even as investigators cut through barbed wire at the first checkpoint. Only a small contingent of PSS personnel, tasked with liaising with the CIO, remained on-site. Most security officers either stayed in standby units inside the residence or were reportedly on leave, opting not to interfere with the warrant execution.

On January 15, as the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the police moved to execute the second arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-yeol, police officers set up a ladder to climb over a vehicle barricade at the entrance of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul. (Yonhap)

On January 15, as the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the police moved to execute the second arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-yeol, police officers set up a ladder to climb over a vehicle barricade at the entrance of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul. (Yonhap)

Reports suggest that PSS leadership, particularly Deputy Director Kim Sung-hoon and Security Headquarters Chief Lee Kwang-woo, had advocated for using force to prevent the warrant’s execution. Despite their push for a hardline stance against what they termed an ‘illegal warrant,’ their efforts failed to garner widespread support among security personnel.

A PSS official acknowledged internal consensus against obstructing the warrant, stating, “Many within the agency believed blocking the execution was not appropriate. However, we remain committed to ensuring the personal safety of the protected individual.”

The PSS reportedly plans to continue close protection measures if President Yoon is transported to the CIO for questioning, whether by official escort vehicle or private security transport.

On January 15, as the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the police moved to execute the second arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-yeol, police officers were seen cutting the lock on the entrance gate of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul, using what appeared to be a cutting tool. (Yonhap)

On January 15, as the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the police moved to execute the second arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-yeol, police officers were seen cutting the lock on the entrance gate of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul, using what appeared to be a cutting tool. (Yonhap)

Analysts attribute the smooth execution of the warrant to a psychological strategy employed by the police’s special investigative unit. Last week, the unit identified divisions within the PSS by interrogating former Director Park Jong-jun and current Security and Safety Chief Lee Jin-ha, both considered moderate voices.

The unit signaled leniency for cooperative personnel while warning that those obstructing the process would face immediate arrest and be distributed to multiple police stations for questioning. Publicizing this operational strategy was seen as a deliberate move to weaken internal resistance.

Additionally, the CIO placed a warning sign at the residence entrance, stating that obstructing officials executing the warrant could result in on-the-spot arrest, further discouraging interference.

This coordinated approach ultimately enabled the peaceful and effective enforcement of the arrest warrant without the feared violent confrontation between investigators and security forces.

On January 15, as the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the police moved to execute the second arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-yeol, police forces were seen breaching security barriers to enter the grounds of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul. (Yonhap)

On January 15, as the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the police moved to execute the second arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-yeol, police forces were seen breaching security barriers to enter the grounds of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul. (Yonhap)

M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)

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