5th January 2025 – (Seoul) On Sunday, Park Jong-joon, the chief of South Korea’s presidential security service, reaffirmed his determination to thwart efforts to arrest the impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol. He stated that complying with the arrest warrant would represent a significant failure in duty and a breach of the service’s primary obligation to ensure the president’s safety.
In a recent statement, Park acknowledged he would accept any judicial repercussions for allowing security personnel to confront investigators who attempted to execute the warrant at the presidential residence in central Seoul last Friday. This intervention has sparked widespread criticism, with many branding the security service as mere bodyguards and even calling for its disbandment.
Yoon’s impeachment motion was passed by the National Assembly on 14th December of the previous year and has since been submitted to the constitutional court for review, a process that may take up to 180 days, during which Yoon’s powers remain suspended. Investigative authorities have identified Yoon as a key suspect in insurrection-related charges. Notably, he declared martial law on 3rd December, a decision that was swiftly revoked by the National Assembly within hours.
