On the afternoon of the 5th, barbed wire was installed on the mountain path near the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul. Reporter Kim Jong-ho captured the scene.
On the morning of the 7th, the atmosphere inside the presidential residence in Hannam-dong was tense, the day after the validity period of the arrest warrant for President Yoon Seok-yeol expired. During the first attempt to execute the warrant on the 3rd, only one large bus blocked the rear of the iron gate of the residence. However, on this morning, an additional bus was stationed in front of the gate, along with two more behind it. The previous day, five large buses were arranged closely in a grid formation to act as a barrier. Razor wire was also set up on a mountain path through which personnel from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the police had passed by bypassing a second line of defense.
The National Police Agency Special Investigation Headquarters (NPA-SIH) is considering deploying a counter-terrorism unit, such as the police special operations team, for the second attempt to execute the arrest warrant against President Yoon, as part of the investigation into the “December 3 Martial Law Crisis.” They had contemplated such a deployment during the first attempt but did not decide on it. Yet, after the failure of the first attempt, the security around the presidential residence has become even tighter. The security office has strengthened its defenses by adding a “bus fortress” and barbed wire post the first arrest warrant execution attempt.
Lee Ji-eun, a Democratic Party regional chairman and former police officer, emphasized on social media that the police special forces should crush the security officers’ will to resist from the beginning with overwhelming manpower and firepower. Given that the CIO had initially tried to entrust the arrest warrant execution to the police only to retract later, there are expectations that the NPA-SIH will take the lead in this arrest warrant execution.
To successfully carry out the second attempt, the NPA-SIH sees no choice but to deploy more personnel. They are considering deploying more officers than during the first attempt. Previously, during the first attempt, around 120 investigators and a task force of approximately 2,700 officers for order and safety were deployed. A NPA-SIH official stated during a briefing that they only deployed necessary personnel during the first attempt and not the maximum number.
There is also an assertion within the NPA-SIH that additional manpower is necessary to break through the “human wall” created by the security office. The security office had organized a human wall by linking arms among its personnel and military forces, reportedly equipping some with personal firearms. Around 200 people had formed an interlocked barricade 200 meters from the residence. Of the approximately 150 NPA-SIH and CIO personnel deployed, only three could reach near the residence.
Additionally, the NPA-SIH plans to actively arrest security personnel who obstruct the execution of the warrant. They explain that physically obstructing a warrant execution issued by the court constitutes special obstruction of official duties. The NPA-SIH had insisted on the necessity of arresting key security office figures on the 3rd, but the CIO, the main body executing the warrant, dissuaded them, prioritizing the minimization of mishaps at the scene.
The refusal of Park Jong-jun, the head of the Security Office, and other security personnel accused of special obstruction of official duties to comply with subpoenas is seen as another factor necessitating a forced investigation. Park ignored a subpoena on the 4th and again stated on the 7th that he could not appear as he had not secured legal representation yet. The NPA-SIH has requested Park to appear for questioning on the 10th and has also notified Lee Kwang-woo, the head of the Security Headquarters, to appear on the same afternoon.
A police officer mentioned that the Security Office had previously blocked two searches of the presidential office and had pre-emptively planned a line of defense against the arrest warrant execution. This indicates a clear intent to delay proceedings and avoid judicial processes, suggesting the necessity for stronger measures.
Meanwhile, the Seoul Western District Court is examining whether to issue a new arrest warrant requested by the CIO for an extended period.