The National Police Agency's special investigation team attempted to carry out a search at the president's residence and the Presidential Security Service in Samcheong-dong on the 20th, but failed due to the Security Service's noncompliance.
According to police officials, special investigation team investigators received a notice of non-execution of the search warrant from the Security Service around 5:10 p.m. and withdrew from the residence. The police sent investigators around 1:35 p.m. that day to secure closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the president's residence.
The search of the Presidential Security Service, which has the server related to the residence's CCTV, also fell through. The police sent investigators to the presidential office for consultations but had to return empty-handed.
The special team requested the Security Service to voluntarily submit materials related to the CCTV and emergency military documents, and said they asked for written responses to this request.
The Security Service reportedly did not comply with the search due to the 'Criminal Procedure Act Articles 110 and 111,' which require obtaining the consent of the person in charge for searches of military secrets or locations under official secrecy. However, unless it harms significant interests of the state, the person in charge of the location must comply with the search.
On that day, the police did not obtain a new search warrant. According to police officials, this was an additional execution due to the remaining time on the previously issued warrant. The police had also sent investigators to the residence and the presidential office on December 27 of last year to present a search warrant for the same matter, but the Security Service did not approve entry, leading to a three-hour standoff before the warrant execution was aborted.
The police are reportedly planning to confirm who entered and exited the residence before and after the declaration of martial law and what directives they received from President Yoon Suk-yeol after securing the CCTV footage.
Korean National Police Agency Commissioner Ji Yong-ho and former Seoul Police Chief Kim Bong-sik met President Yoon three hours before the declaration of martial law on the 3rd of last month and received documents detailing instructions related to it. On the day of the lifting of martial law, the 4th, it was revealed that four individuals, including Minister Park Sung-jae, Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs Kim Joo-hyun, Legislative Affairs Office Director Lee Wan-kyu, and former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, held a meeting with President Yoon.