Police "Considering Arrest Warrant, Summons, and Residence Search for President Yoon"

Review of Warrant Re-execution or Additional Application

The police investigating the December 3 emergency martial law incident are considering additional forced investigations targeting President Yoon Seok-yeol.

On the 12th, when President Yoon Suk-yeol announced a national address, the area in front of the Presidential Office in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, was quiet with cars and people passing by, and support wreaths lined up along the entrance road. Photo by Heo Young-han

On the 13th, a representative of the Special Investigation Unit of the National Police Agency stated at a press briefing held at the Seodaemun-gu office in Seoul, in response to reporters' questions asking, "Have you applied for or are you considering applying for an arrest warrant for President Yoon?" that "this matter is also being reviewed internally," adding, "We are considering options such as conducting a search and seizure at the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, obtaining a search warrant for President Yoon's communication records, and requesting his appearance at the police station."

On the 11th, the police also obtained a warrant from the court and conducted a search and seizure at the Yongsan Presidential Office, but the Presidential Security Service blocked entry citing official and military secrets, allowing only some materials to be voluntarily submitted. However, since the police have judged President Yoon as the mastermind of this rebellion based on the items seized so far and testimonies from related parties, attempts at forced investigation are expected to continue.

When asked whether the obstruction of official duties charge applies to the incident where entry to the presidential office premises was blocked, a police official explained, "It seems that applying the charge was difficult due to official secrets and related matters," adding, "There may be difficulties during execution, but the purpose is to secure the necessary materials, so ultimately, whether or not these materials can be secured is what matters more than applying the obstruction of official duties charge."

Regarding the possibility of additional search and seizure at the presidential office, the official said, "We are reviewing whether the issued warrant can be re-executed, and depending on that, whether to re-execute or apply for another warrant is currently under consideration."

Typically, search warrants are valid for a certain period, such as within one week, allowing execution during that time. If the execution is not completed before the expiration, a new warrant must be applied for.

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