South Korea's Presidential Security Bureau is an agency tasked with protecting the president, and prides itself on being the “last bastion for safe and stable national politics.'' It is now at the center of South Korea's biggest political turmoil in decades, and is acting as the last line of defense to prevent criminal investigators from detaining President Yun Seok-Yeol on sedition charges.
Since his impeachment over the brief declaration of martial law last month, Mr. Yoon has been holed up in a hilly area in central Seoul, currently surrounded by bus barricades, barbed wire and presidential bodyguards. He has vowed to “fight to the end” to return to public office, but surveys show a majority of South Koreans want him to be overthrown and arrested, and a court on Tuesday ordered investigators to issue a new detention warrant for him. gave.
The only thing standing between them and Mr. Yoon is the Presidential Security Service (PSS), which thwarted the first attempt to execute the warrant last Friday. When 100 criminal investigators and police officers showed up at his residence, agency officials outnumbered them two to one, blocking them and questioning the legality of court-issued documents. The two sides were in a standoff for five and a half hours until the investigative authorities gave up on arresting Yoon.
Similar to the U.S. Secret Service, the PSS protects current and former presidents, president-elects, and visiting heads of state. Founded in 1963 under former dictator Park Chung Hee, the PSS was once one of the government's most powerful organs, with military heavyweights relying on its loyalty to ward off assassination attempts. Although South Korea has democratized in recent decades, much of this has been hidden in the shadows. But under Mr. Yun's administration, its agents began to attract unwelcome public attention, including dragging protesters away during public events.
Yun appointed Kim Yong-hyun, his most loyal ally, as his first security chief and later promoted him to defense minister. South Korea is currently run by an acting president after Yun was impeached and suspended, but military authorities are reluctant to defend him as he remains the only elected leader. I swear.
Security officials warned that clashes could occur if investigators tried to detain Yoon again. The agency has hundreds of trained bodyguards and counter-terrorist experts and is supported by police and military detachments.
Police ordered security chief Park Jeong-joon to appear for questioning on suspicion of obstruction of justice, but he has so far ignored the orders. They threatened to seek a warrant to detain him if he did not comply with the summons.
“The public should not be shown an unfortunate scene of government agencies colliding,” Park said.
South Korean citizens who had wanted Yun arrested expressed anger at his refusal to cooperate. House Minority Leader Park Chan-dae of the Democratic Party, the main opposition party, called Yoon a coward for trying to “incite civil war and bloodshed” by hiding behind the president's bodyguards.
“The Presidential Guard has turned into Yoon Seok-yeol's private militia,” said Jeong Ji-eun, a lawyer and bar association president in the populous Gyeonggi province surrounding Seoul. By refusing court-issued warrants, the security agencies had “put themselves above the judiciary,” he added. The security struggle has added to the chaos that has paralyzed South Korea ever since Yun tried to impose martial law. Multiple government agencies are investigating him on suspicion of sedition.
The police and military are also involved in the struggle, with both sides requesting assistance. The situation is further exacerbated by ongoing legal disputes following Yun's impeachment over who can investigate whom and who must follow whose orders.
Yoon is facing a dual investigation: a political investigation and a criminal investigation. The first is by the Constitutional Court, which is scheduled to begin hearings next week to decide whether the president should be formally removed from office or reinstated. The second is an unprecedented criminal investigation, marking the first time authorities have attempted to detain a president while he is still in office.
Investigators say they want to interrogate Yoon to determine whether he committed a riot when he ordered the military to occupy the National Assembly and round up political opponents.
Mr. Yun and his lawyers argued that the declaration of martial law was a legitimate use of presidential power to quell an unruly opposition that was interfering with his political agenda. They filed a series of legal challenges against those trying to arrest him.
On Wednesday, Yoon's lawyer, Yoon Kap-gun, reiterated that the president would not accept the arrest warrant, but said that if the court issues a formal and appropriate arrest warrant, the president will turn himself in because he does not want to escalate the situation. . Conflict, chaos and division in this country.”
Until recently, government prosecutors typically investigated all politically sensitive criminal cases.
However, Yoon's liberal predecessor, President Moon Jae-in, created the Office of High-Level Corruption Investigation (CIO) in 2020, taking away some of prosecutors' investigative powers. However, the new agency's role is not clearly defined and it has few resources. Prosecutors have arrested a number of key figures involved in Mr. Yun's ill-fated martial law efforts, including an army general and a former PSS commander who was a close ally in Mr. Yun's imposition of martial law. This includes Mr.
The CIO maintained that the insurrection case was under its jurisdiction and asked for further support in cooperating with the police in a joint investigation. However, the office's resources are extremely limited and only 20 staff members were able to mobilize for last Friday's operation to arrest Yun.
Despite the support of 80 police officers, they were unable to break through the security forces, which mobilized 200 personnel and soldiers, locked their weapons and erected barricades.
Angered by the embarrassing failure, the investigation headquarters and police are rebuilding their systems. They indicated they would bring in more officials if they tried to take Mr. Yoon into custody again. Some fear a violent conflict could ensue if either side backs down.
Chief Prosecutor Oh Dong-hoon of the Investigation Headquarters said at a National Assembly hearing on Tuesday, “We will make thorough preparations to achieve our goals even in our second attempt.''
Some opposition politicians are pushing for a bill to abolish the security forces and replace them with police.
They explained this to South Korea's military dictator, who feared not only domestic enemies but also North Korean assassins, used the president's personal security personnel as personal bodyguards, and appointed dozens of his most trusted allies as chiefs. I think it's a remnant from years ago. (When military dictator Park Chung-hee was assassinated during a drinking party in 1979 by Kim Jae-gyu, the director of national intelligence, Mr. Kim first shot and killed Mr. Park's chief bodyguard, Cha Chi-cheol, agency) that surpassed the force. )
“The Presidential Guard is a symbol of the imperial presidency and a legacy of an authoritarian past,” said Shin Jang-sik, an opposition lawmaker who helped draft the bill to disband the PSS. and act like an institution of absolute power. ”
