SEOUL: The chief of South Korea’s Presidential Security Service, Park Jong-joon, appeared for police questioning at 10am on Jan 10, facing allegations of obstructing the execution of a court-ordered warrant to arrest suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Jan 3.
In front of the National Office of Investigation of the Korean National Police Agency in Seoul, Park, who commands Yoon’s bodyguards, claimed investigators attempting to carry out the warrant to arrest Yoon was “inappropriate”.
“I believe that investigation procedures appropriate for the status of a sitting president should be conducted,” Park said.
He added: “I understand that many are deeply concerned about the ongoing standoff and tensions between government agencies. However, under no circumstances should bloodshed between government agencies take place (over Yoon’s detention).”
It was the third time Park has been summoned by the police, after being booked on charges of obstructing official duties.
He refused to show up for the police’s first summons on Jan 4, claiming that he could not leave his post “given the critical nature of presidential security operations”.
The police then issued a second summons on Jan 7, to which Park had responded at the time that he would not appear as he was “yet to retain legal counsel”.
On Jan 3, hundreds of Yoon’s presidential bodyguards blocked the joint probe team’s access to arrest him at the presidential residence in Seoul.
After an over five-hour standoff, the joint probe team, comprised of police from the National Office of Investigation and prosecutors from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, retreated and vowed to carry out the arrest warrant again in the near future. - The Korea Herald/ANN
