On the 18th, prosecutors filed for arrest warrants for Vice Administrator Kim Sung-hoon and Deputy Minister Lee Kwang-woo of the Presidential Security Service on charges of obstructing the execution of special public duties. The Seoul Western District Prosecutor's Office filed the charges after the Korean National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters Special Investigation Unit requested the warrants for the two.
It is reported that Vice Administrator Kim and Deputy Minister Lee claimed in January that they should prevent the execution of arrest warrants for President Yoon by exercising physical force when the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and the police attempted to enforce the warrants twice. The first execution of the warrant during that time failed, and President Yoon was arrested during the second execution. In connection with this, charges of obstructing the execution of special public duties were applied to the two.
In addition, Vice Administrator Kim and Deputy Minister Lee are also facing allegations of abusing their authority by improperly transferring officials of the Presidential Security Service who did not follow orders to prevent the arrest and ordering the deletion of security phone records.
Earlier, prosecutors rejected the police's request for an arrest warrant for Vice Administrator Kim three times. The police's request for an arrest warrant for Deputy Minister Lee was also rejected by the prosecutors twice. Subsequently, on the 13th of last month, the police applied for a review of the arrest warrant at the Seoul High Prosecutor's Office. The warrant review committee determined on the 6th that the warrant request was valid. Consequently, the police submitted the arrest warrants for the two to the prosecutors on the 17th.