On December 11, 2024, South Korean media revealed that the South Korean police attempted to search President Yoon Suk-yeol’s office on Wednesday (December 11th) but failed to enter the main building. Prior to this, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and National Police Agency Chief had been arrested on charges of “rebellion.”
According to reports from Yonhap News Agency, the National Police Agency’s National Investigation Office disclosed that a team of 18 investigators attempted to enter the President’s office to search for materials related to martial law, but they were unable to enter the main building of the President’s office due to security obstruction.
The search warrant used by the investigators listed Yoon Suk-yeol as a suspect, and the targets of the raid included the President’s office, the Cabinet meeting room, and the Presidential Security Service.
The materials they sought to collect included the records of a Cabinet meeting held shortly before Yoon Suk-yeol announced martial law on December 3.
The attempt to search the President’s office indicates an escalation in the investigation into Yoon Suk-yeol and senior police and military officials involved in martial law.
Yoon Suk-yeol is currently facing a criminal investigation for rebellion and has been banned from leaving the country, although he has not been arrested or questioned by authorities. He is the first president in South Korean history to be banned from leaving the country during his term.
Regarding the reason why the investigators failed to enter the main building of the President’s office, reports from Yonhap News Agency stated that it was due to the police not reaching agreement with the Presidential Security Service on the methods of search and seizure. The police declined to comment on this matter.
A spokesperson for the President’s office denied opposition to the search, stating, “We responded in accordance with the law and past government cases.”
Earlier, Yoon Suk-yeol’s close friend, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, as well as National Police Agency Chief Cho Ji-ho and Seoul Police Chief Kim Bong-sik were arrested on charges of rebellion. Cho Ji-ho was accused of deploying police to prevent lawmakers from entering the parliament.
A judicial official informed the parliament that Kim Yong-hyun attempted suicide at a detention center on Tuesday night. He is currently under observation and is not in imminent danger.
Kim Yong-hyun has resigned and apologized for his role in the brief implementation of martial law, stating that he alone takes full responsibility for the martial law incident.
When asked who is responsible for managing national affairs, Yoon Suk-yeol’s office stated on Tuesday that there is “no official position.”
The leader of his People Power Party (PPP) announced that Prime Minister Han Dae-soo would be responsible for managing national affairs, and the party is exploring an “orderly” way for the president to resign.
However, the constitutional legality of this arrangement has been questioned by the opposition party and some legal scholars.
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) stated that they plan to introduce a new impeachment bill against Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday and vote on Saturday. This comes just one week after the initial failed impeachment vote.
Reports suggest that following the previous vote, some members of the President’s party have started to support the motion. With only eight members of this party voting in favor of impeachment, along with the opposition, the motion is highly likely to pass.
If the parliament votes to approve the impeachment, the Constitutional Court will review the case and decide whether to remove the president.
(This article was compiled based on reports from Yonhap News Agency and Reuters.)