Joint investigative headquarters has another standoff with presidential security service

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Joint investigative headquarters has another standoff with presidential security service

Published: 17 Dec. 2024, 17:19 Updated: 17 Dec. 2024, 19:00

MICHAEL LEE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

An official from the joint investigative headquarters that is probing President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived imposition of martial law on Dec. 3 boards a vehicle after being denied entry to the president's official residence in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Dec 16. The official tried to deliver summons to the president to attend questioning on Wednesday morning. [NEWS1]

A multiagency investigative team attempted to raid the presidential compound on Tuesday in an effort to secure the server linked to police chief Cho Ji-ho’s encrypted mobile phone but was prevented from entering by the presidential security service.

The attempted raid, which began at 10:20 a.m. and resulted in a seven-hour standoff, marked the second time in a week that detectives have tried to secure information regarding President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived imposition of martial law on Dec. 3.

When police detectives previously attempted to raid the presidential compound last week, Yoon’s office invoked articles 110 and 111 of the Criminal Act to bar their entry.

The law prohibits raids without the consent of authorities in charge of a location that deals with military or official secrets.

The joint investigative headquarters that led the latest raid is a combined effort by the police, the Ministry of National Defense and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials to probe various allegations against Yoon and members of his administration.

Police officials said Tuesday evening that the presidential security service told them it would decide on Wednesday how to cooperate with investigators, who left the presidential compound around 6 p.m.

The joint task force also attempted on Monday to deliver a summons to Yoon to appear for questioning by its investigators at 10 a.m. on Wednesday but failed.

According to the task force, the summons it sent to the presidential office was marked as “undelivered” by the postal service, while its officials were not allowed to hand the summons in person to Yoon at his official residence.

In its comments to reporters, the joint investigative headquarters said it assumed Yoon had been adequately notified of the summons and would regard his lack of response as the “first instance of his refusal” to cooperate with their probe.

The force added it would determine when to send a second summons after 10 a.m. on Wednesday.

Earlier the same day, a lawyer representing Yoon said he does not plan to appear for questioning by the joint investigative headquarters, but declined to say whether the president would respond to a separate summons for questioning on Saturday that had been issued by the state prosecution service.

Seok Dong-hyun, a lawyer for President Yoon Suk Yeol, poses for a photo taken on Jan. 10, when he was serving as the chairman of the presidential Peaceful Unification Advisory Council. [YONHAP]

The lawyer, Seok Dong-hyeon, also argued that Yoon’s short-lived imposition of martial law was not an attempt to incite an insurrection and that the impeached leader intends to defend his actions in person before the Constitutional Court.

Seok said the president plans to form separate legal teams to provide him with counsel as he undergoes multiple investigations and to defend him before the Constitutional Court, which will oversee his impeachment trial.

Seok, who was the president’s classmate at Seoul National University Law School and has known him for over 40 years, said Yoon is “not worried” about being accused of insurrection, but will respond to investigative agencies that seek to apply the charge against him.

The president is expected to argue before the Constitutional Court that the charge of insurrection cannot apply to an elected head of state who already holds power.

Earlier the same day, Constitutional Court Justice Kim Hyung-du told reporters that the court had asked Yoon to submit a response regarding his impeachment.

According to relevant regulations, Yoon must submit a statement within seven days of being served the National Assembly’s impeachment motion and other documents by the court.

If the documents were received on Monday, the deadline for Yoon to submit his statement would be Dec. 23. However, the deadline is likely to be delayed as Yoon’s office failed to confirm their receipt, according to court spokesperson Lee Jin at a Tuesday press briefing.

The Constitutional Court is expected to begin reviewing the impeachment case against the president based on the National Assembly’s motion and Yoon’s statement.

Seok said that Yoon plans to attend future oral arguments at the court to defend his claim that his declaration of martial law was not illegal.

“The president plans to earnestly plead his case in the courtroom,” Seok said.

Update, Dec. 17: Details regarding Tuesday's raid added.

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