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Police attempt second raid on presidential compound to secure JCS documents

Published: 12 Dec. 2024, 15:57 Updated: 12 Dec. 2024, 16:04

MICHAEL LEE
[email protected]

An investigator from the police agency's National Office of Investigation, second from left, arrives at the presidential compound in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Thursday afternoon. The gate of the presidential compound is blurred due to restrictions on photography. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

A special police task force charged with investigating President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law arrived at the presidential compound on Thursday to secure additional information after they were rebuffed the previous day.

Detectives from the police agency’s National Office of Investigation (NOI) arrived at the presidential compound in Yongsan District, central Seoul, at 2 p.m. to induce the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to cooperate with their request to relinquish documents related to Yoon’s martial law decree.

Investigators are currently meeting with JCS officials at a reception room inside the presidential compound, according to local media reports.

The headquarters of the JCS is located next to the presidential office inside the same compound, and the presidential security service controls access to both buildings.

Yoon's office refuses to cooperate with raid, blocks entry

The basement of the JCS headquarters is where the short-lived martial law command was located before Yoon rescinded the decree.

Investigators are currently working to obtain documents related to the martial law command with the cooperation of the JCS in accordance with a court-approved search warrant.

Articles 110 and 111 of the Criminal Act prohibit raids without the consent of the person in charge of a location that deals with military or official secrets.

Although NOI investigators attempted to enter the presidential compound yesterday, they found themselves stuck outside the gates after the presidential office denied them entry.

Wednesday’s search ended with the police being given only a few documents from the presidential security service.

A police official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity said the presidential office is not the target of Thursday’s raid.

BY MICHAEL LEE, LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]