The Corruption Investigation Office entrusts the police with executing Yoon's arrest warrant... retains investigative authority

The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (HCICU) delegated the authority to execute the arrest warrant for President Yoon Seok-yeol to the National Police Agency's Criminal Investigation Headquarters on the 6th. However, the HCICU maintains that the investigation rights over President Yoon still remain with them.

High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency. Yonhap News

On the same day, Lee Jae-seung, Deputy Director of the HCICU, held a briefing at the Government Complex Gwacheon in Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, stating, "Last night (the 5th) around 9 PM, we directed the National Police Agency's Criminal Investigation Headquarters to execute the arrest warrant."

Deputy Director Lee said, "Since the first attempt to execute the arrest warrant on the 3rd failed, we have been conducting practical discussions with the National Police Agency's Criminal Investigation Headquarters regarding the timing, method, and cooperation system for the second execution." He added, "We also sent an official letter to Acting President Choi Sang-mok urging the Security Office's cooperation in executing the warrant and requested a response by noon the previous day, but we received no reply."

He continued, "We judged that it was no longer feasible to wait for a response, and considering the police's expertise in warrant execution and the unified command system at the scene, we believed that delegating the execution to the Criminal Investigation Headquarters would facilitate a faster and more efficient procedure."

Regarding criticisms that they were shifting responsibility to the police, he said, "The situation at the execution site was increasingly becoming a standoff. Even if we gathered all HCICU prosecutors and investigators, there are only about 50 people, and at most 30 could be deployed for the execution. We do not believe that manpower would provide substantial help in the execution."

The HCICU plans to apply for an extension of the validity period of the arrest warrant for President Yoon, which expires on the same day. Deputy Director Lee stated, "If a period of more than seven days is needed, we plan to apply for that validity period."

The HCICU remains open to the possibility of transferring the case to other investigative agencies in the future. Deputy Director Lee said, "According to the purpose of the Joint Investigation Headquarters to utilize the HCICU's legal expertise, the case involving President Yoon remains with the HCICU," but added, "Rather than stubbornly insisting that the HCICU must investigate and proceeding unilaterally, we will consider re-transfer at some stage."

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