The police conducted a search and seizure of the presidential office on the 11th in relation to the ‘martial law declaration incident.’
The special investigation team on martial law (Special Team) of the Korean National Police Agency noted that they sent 18 investigators to the presidential office that day to secure martial law materials, including cabinet meeting records.
Investigators from the special team arrived at the presidential office's civil affairs office at about 11:45 a.m. and presented a search and seizure warrant, naming President Yoon as a suspect, to the Presidential Security Service. An official from the special team said, “The main reason for the search and seizure of the presidential office is the charge of rebellion,” noting that the president's office, cabinet meeting room, and security service are set as targets for the search and seizure.
This is the first search and seizure of the presidential office conducted since the police, along with the prosecution and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), launched an investigation following the martial law declaration on the night of the 3rd. Usually, searches and seizures related to the presidential office (Cheong Wa Dae) have been conducted through voluntary submission. The security service prevents entry into the premises and provides necessary materials from the presidential office to waiting investigators outside.
It was reported that the police are keeping the possibility of urgently arresting President Yoon open based on the items seized and the statements from related parties secured so far. Under criminal law, the crime of rebellion is a serious offense punishable by up to the death penalty. While the president is immune from criminal prosecution while in office, exceptions are made for rebellion and foreign attack charges.
The special team is also conducting searches and seizures at the Korean National Police Agency, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and the National Assembly Guard. The special team urgently detained Eo Cheong-soo, commissioner of the Korean National Police Agency, and Kim Bong-sik, commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, on rebellion charges. Eo and Kim are accused of instructing field officers to implement measures that completely restricted access to the National Assembly twice after the martial law was declared, which blocked the entry of lawmakers heading to the Assembly for a vote to lift martial law, violating laws against rebellion. The police noted they plan to exclude Mok Hyun-tae, chief of the National Assembly Guard, from duties, deeming it unacceptable for Mok to maintain the current position due to involvement in restricting Assembly access during the martial law incident.