Police End Search of Presidential Office...Failed to Enter Due to Security Office Blockade

Standoff Continues for 8 Hours
Extremely Limited Data Submitted Arbitrarily
Democratic Party: "Act of Protecting the Chief of Rebellion"

The police launched a forced investigation into the Presidential Office related to the 'December 3 Emergency Martial Law Incident,' but were ultimately blocked by the Presidential Security Service and failed to enter the premises.

The police special investigation team stated on the 11th, "We received only a very limited amount of materials voluntarily from the Security Service at the scene."

The investigators of the special investigation team arrived at the Presidential Office Civil Affairs Office at 11:45 a.m. that day but clashed with the Presidential Security Service for eight hours over the method of the search and seizure. It is known that the Presidential Security Service had not been informed of the related details prior to the announcement of the search and seizure.

The search warrant named President Yoon Seok-yeol as a suspect. The locations subject to search and seizure included four places: the State Council meeting room within the Presidential Office building, the Security Service, the 101 Security Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and the integrated command center on the third basement floor of the Joint Chiefs of Staff building where the Martial Law Command was located.

The Presidential Office stated that it responded according to the precedent set by the previous administration. The Presidential Security Service has so far refused entry of investigative agencies into the Blue House and Presidential Office premises, citing the Criminal Procedure Act provision that "places requiring military or official secrecy cannot be searched without the supervisor's consent."

The Democratic Party criticized, "The actions of the Presidential Security Service obstructing the search and seizure of the Presidential Office amount to protecting the ringleader of the rebellion and constitute participation in the rebellion," adding, "We will thoroughly investigate all acts of obstruction to the rebellion investigation through a special prosecutor and a parliamentary audit and punish all involved severely."

Meanwhile, the National Police Agency announced that on the same day, the National Investigation Headquarters, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, and the Ministry of National Defense Investigation Headquarters agreed to operate a joint investigation headquarters for the 'December 3 Emergency Martial Law' case. The joint investigation headquarters will leverage each agency's strengths?such as the National Investigation Headquarters' investigative experience and capabilities, the Corruption Investigation Office's legal expertise and authority to request warrants, and the Ministry of National Defense Investigation Headquarters' military expertise?to cooperate organically and resolve confusion and inefficiency caused by overlapping investigations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.