South Korea’s presidential security chief, Park Jong-joon, appeared before police on Friday for questioning on charges of obstructing the execution of a warrant to arrest President Yoon Suk-yeol.
Park arrived at the National Office of Investigation (NOI) in Seoul at around 10:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT), following a third summons after previous refusals to appear on January 4 and 7.
Speaking to reporters before entering the NOI, Park emphasized the need to avoid physical conflict or bloodshed amid growing concerns over confrontations between government agencies. “Investigations should be carried out considering President Yoon’s current status,” he stated, arguing that the execution of the arrest warrant was “not proper.”
Booked on charges of obstructing the execution of special public affairs, Park is accused of blocking investigators’ attempts to arrest President Yoon at the presidential residence on January 3. The arrest attempt failed as the presidential security service reportedly prevented the execution of the warrant.
On Tuesday, a Seoul court granted an extension of the warrant to arrest Yoon by issuing a second warrant against the impeached president. The validity term of the second warrant could be longer than the first, which was valid for a week.
The National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against Yoon on December 14 last year, delivering it to the constitutional court for deliberation. The court has up to 180 days to deliberate, during which Yoon’s presidential powers are suspended.
Yoon, named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader on insurrection charges, declared martial law on the night of December 3, but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.
The unfolding political turmoil has raised concerns both domestically and internationally, with observers closely monitoring the situation for potential impacts on South Korea’s stability and regional relations.
