The Presidential Security Service, which is preventing the execution of an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-yeol, is now facing a crisis over its very existence. While the Security Service maintains its stance of "remaining faithful to the duty of presidential protection," there are growing voices of anxiety and frustration within the organization.
Security Service Blocks Yoon’s Arrest... Calls for Abolition Grow
On the 10th, as the National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police Agency and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) prepare for a second attempt to execute President Yoon’s arrest warrant, the Security Service has effectively set up a “siege” by blocking off the area around the Hannam-dong residence with barricades and barbed wire. A Security Service official explained, “Even if there is a standoff, there is a strict atmosphere that absolutely forbids any physical clashes, and especially the use of firearms is out of the question,” but emphasized that the basic security posture remains unchanged.
This response by the Security Service is noteworthy because it could affect the future of the organization itself. Just this week, eight amendments to the “Act on the Protection of the President, etc.” have been proposed. Four of them call for the abolition of the Security Service and the transfer of its duties to the police. The rest include proposals to restrict the scope of protection and strengthen accountability for Security Service staff regarding the possession and use of weapons.
Since the days of military regimes, the Presidential Security Service?once called the “core of power”?has experienced ups and downs depending on the administration, but has survived based on its raison d’etre: ensuring the president’s safety. However, with the Service now blocking the execution of a court-issued warrant and even risking physical confrontation with another state agency, the police, many in political and academic circles argue that stronger oversight is needed.
Legal Liability for Staff Possible... "Frustration" Inside
There are also signs of anxiety within the Security Service. Yun Kunyoung, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party, said on the 9th, “Many of the MZ generation staff at the Security Service are extremely dissatisfied with the outrageous remarks and actions of some of the top brass.” A Security Service official also commented, “With hundreds of staff, it’s impossible to check everyone’s feelings, but that interpretation is not far off. It’s frustrating.”
The fact that the police are increasing pressure by investigating Security Service staff for obstruction of official duties is also a burden. Previously, the police sent an official request to the Security Service on the 8th for the identification of 26 staff members who blocked the first attempt to execute the arrest warrant on the 3rd. The fact that Park Jongjun, head of the Security Service, appeared before the police for questioning on the 10th is also expected to influence the internal atmosphere of the organization.
