Kim Seong-hoon, the Vice Administrator of the Presidential Security Service, and Lee Kwang-woo, the Deputy Minister, who are facing charges of obstructing the execution of an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-yeol, were summoned by the police on the 18th. Vice Administrator Kim was arrested the day before, and the Deputy Minister was arrested shortly after appearing at the police station on the same day.
Vice Administrator Kim was arrested immediately after voluntarily appearing at the National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters on the 17th and was transferred to the detention center at the Seoul Namdaemun Police Station. While heading to the interrogation room again that morning, Vice Administrator Kim did not answer questions from reporters asking, "Do you acknowledge the allegations?"
The lawyer for Vice Administrator Kim noted, "Vice Administrator Kim only acted according to the security manual and that the situation in which the arrest warrant was presented constituted illegal entry. The security service responded in principle."
Deputy Minister Lee appeared at the police station at 9:45 a.m. that day, asserting that he performed his duties legally in the security zone, denying the charges. He had refused police requests for appearances three times, which led to the issuance of an arrest warrant. Police arrested the Deputy Minister at 10:03 a.m. after he entered the interrogation room.
The two officials are accused of obstructing the execution of an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-yeol when the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and the police attempted to carry out the warrant on the 3rd. When the police were executing a second arrest warrant for the president on the 15th, they tried to arrest Deputy Minister Lee as well; however, he postponed his arrest, promising to voluntarily appear after completing his security duties.
Vice Administrator Kim Seong-hoon and Deputy Minister Lee Kwang-woo are categorized as 'hardliners' within the security service and are identified as key figures in the process of obstructing the arrest warrant execution.