SEOUL, February 21 (AJP) - President Yoon Suk Yeol is facing new charges of obstructing law enforcement by using an agency responsible for his personal security, police said Friday.
Police said Yoon instructed the Presidential Security Service (PSS) to block officers from executing his arrest warrant. They explained that they had obtained encrypted messages exchanged between Yoon and PSS Deputy Chief Kim Sung-hoon via "Signal," a highly secure American messaging app.
Investigators say Yoon directed Kim to ensure that the security team would intervene to prevent an arrest attempt if one were made. The exchanges reportedly took place on Jan. 3, the day of the first arrest attempt, and again on Jan. 7.
"While we cannot disclose the exact contents of the messages, we believe they provide direct evidence that Yoon ordered efforts to block his arrest," a police official said.
Tensions reportedly arose within the PSS over Yoon’s directive. Kim, considered a hardliner, relayed the order to staff, but some members refused to comply. On Jan. 15, during the second arrest attempt, some PSS officers did not intervene, leading to Yoon’s detention. They questioned the legality of blocking law enforcement officers and chose not to follow the directive.
The suspicion that President Yoon interfered with the execution of his arrest warrant was part of the initial request for Deputy Chief Kim’s detention. However, the investigation has been hindered by prosecutors repeatedly rejecting Kim’s detention request, citing a lack of sufficient evidence.
Since Yoon remains the sitting president, it is unclear whether legal proceedings on these charges will continue until the Constitutional Court reaches a verdict on his impeachment.
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