South Korea’s acting leader has accepted the resignation of the Chief of the presidential security service, Park Jong-joon, as he faced police questioning over how his forces blocked law enforcement efforts to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol last week.
Park ignored two summonses before appearing for questioning on Friday, January 10, 2025, over allegations of obstructing justice, a week after his forces repelled dozens of anti-corruption and police investigators from Yoon’s official residence.
Park said that his duty is to protect the President and warned of “bloodshed,” as critics said that his agency is becoming Yoon’s private army.
The presidential security service blocked an earlier attempt to detain Yoon at his official residence, which he has not left for weeks.
The embattled President remains holed up at his official residence in Seoul, where the presidential security service has fortified the grounds with barbed wire and rows of vehicles blocking the roads.
A Seoul court on Tuesday issued a new warrant to the anti-corruption agency to detain Yoon after the previous one-week warrant expired. The agency and police have not publicly disclosed how long the new warrant will remain valid.
Speaking to reporters upon arriving for police questioning, Park again criticized the efforts to detain Yoon, saying that the investigation should proceed in a manner “appropriate for the status of an incumbent President” and the “dignity of the nation.”
“Many citizens are surely deeply concerned about the possible conflict and confrontation between government agencies.
“I came here today with the belief that under no circumstances should there be any physical clashes or bloodshed, and am hoping to prevent such incidents from occurring.”
Park Jong-joon
Park said that he made several calls to Choi, urging him to mediate an alternative approach with law enforcement and also made similar requests to Yoon’s lawyers, but did not receive a satisfactory response.
The anti-corruption agency had also criticized Choi for refusing to instruct the presidential security service to cooperate with its execution of the detainment warrant.
While the presidential security act mandates protection for Yoon, it does not authorize the service to block court-ordered detainments and some legal experts say the presidential security service’s action last week may have been illegal.
Asked in parliament about the presidential security service’s effort to block the detention, National Court Administration Head, Cheon Dae-yeop said on Friday that “resistance without a legitimate reason can constitute a crime, such as obstruction of official duties.”
Although the President himself has wide-ranging immunity from prosecution while in office, that does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.
Choi Expresses Regret Over Clashes Between Law Enforcement Officials And The Presidential Security Service
Meanwhile, the acting leader, Deputy Prime Minister, Choi Sang-mok, expressed regret over the clashes between law enforcement officials and the presidential security service and called for lawmakers to reach a bipartisan agreement to launch an independent investigation.
About the tensions between the anti-corruption office and presidential security service over Yoon’s potential detention, Choi stated, “The government has been deliberating to find a wise solution, but unfortunately, within our current legal framework, it’s difficult to find a clear resolution to end the conflict between the two agencies.”
“We urge the ruling and opposition parties to work together to agree on a bill to launch a special prosecutor investigation that is free from constitutional issues. This will naturally resolve the ongoing intense standoff.”
Choi Sang-mok
However, the main liberal opposition, Democratic Party accused Choi of legitimizing Yoon’s refusal to comply with a court-issued warrant under the guise of neutrality. “It amounts to a public declaration of support for the leader of a rebellion,” said Noh Jong-myun, a party lawmaker and spokesperson.
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