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Parents of soldiers irate over using sons as 'human shield' to prevent Yoon's arrest

Published: 10 Jan. 2025, 17:22 Updated: 10 Jan. 2025, 17:30

The 55th Guard Corps blocks investigators from entering the presidential residence in Yongsan District, central Seoul on Jan. 3. [NEWS1]

Parents' outrage erupted after soldiers from the Capital Defense Command's 55th Guard Corps were reportedly used as a "human shield" during the execution of an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol last Friday.

Parents of soldiers in the 55th Guard Corps flooded the unit with protest calls after learning about their deployment to block the execution of the arrest warrant, reported the JTBC, an affiliate of Korea JoongAng Daily, on Thursday.

One mother told JTBC that she had been unable to contact her son since the morning of the incident and had to rely on the news for updates, describing the experience as agonizing.

"How could they use the son I raised as cannon fodder? This is absolutely unacceptable," she said. She added that her biggest concern was her son’s safety, expressing a strong desire to retrieve him immediately.

"I’m shaking with anger and worry."

Within the 55th Guard Corps, some soldiers reportedly expressed unease about their role in forming a "human shield" for the president.

One mother said her son had asked her, "Which is the greater crime — disobeying orders or obstructing official duties?"

The 55th Guard Corps, composed of elite soldiers selected through strict background checks, has long been a source of pride for its members. "I used to take pride in being selected for the 55th Guard Corps, but now I only feel a sense of shame,” said one soldier.

The Ministry of National Defense reportedly conveyed to the Presidential Security Service (PSS) on Jan. 3 that deploying the 55th Guard Corps to block the arrest was inappropriate. On Thursday, the PSS reportedly responded that it "understood" the ministry’s position.

A ministry official said soldiers from the 55th Guard Corps would not be deployed again to obstruct similar attempts to execute the president’s arrest warrant. However, the ministry clarified that it was not considering withdrawing the battalion from its assignment under the PSS.

A parent advocacy group for active-duty soldiers, "No Illness, No Wounds, Safe and Sound Return Mom Brigade," released a statement condemning the PSS’s actions.

"We cannot tolerate the illegal and arrogant behavior of the PSS, which treats the morale and honor of our soldier sons like trash," the group said. They demanded an immediate end to what they described as "the PSS’s disgraceful chaos, which seeks to tarnish our sons with the label of guards for a traitor."

A representative from the group criticized the PSS for acting as if it had extralegal authority, accusing it of undermining the rule of law.

"Parents across the nation have been consumed with worry for nearly a month,” they said. “This disgraceful chaos must stop.”

The National Police Agency confirmed on Jan. 6 that the PSS mobilized soldiers to obstruct the execution of the arrest warrant.

The PSS reportedly deployed dozens of personnel from the 55th Guard Corps and the 33rd Military Police to prevent prosecutors and investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) entering Yoon’s residence in Yongsan District, central Seoul.

While the 55th Guard Corps and the 33rd Military Police Protection Unit are part of the Capital Defense Command, they operate under the direction of the PSS as stipulated by the Presidential Security Act.

The Defense Ministry said that deploying military personnel to block the CIO’s execution of an arrest warrant was inappropriate and conveyed this stance to the PSS. The ministry also instructed the commander of the 55th Guard Corps to avoid physical clashes with the police during such operations.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]