Kim Sung-hoon Faces Potential Arrest After Four Applications
Prosecutors Seem to Have Filed Warrant Based on Deliberation Results
If Arrested, Possible Search of Encrypted Phone Server, ‘[Edaily Reporter Kim Hyung-hwan] The decision on whether Kim Sung-hoon, Deputy Chief of the Presidential Security Service, and Lee Kwang-woo, Chief of the Security Headquarters, classified as hardliners within the presidential security office, will be arrested is expected on the 21st.’,
According to legal circles on the 19th, the Seoul Western District Court will conduct a pre-trial detention review for Deputy Chief Kim and Chief Lee, who are facing charges of obstruction of special public duty, at 10:30 a.m. on the 21st. It is expected that the decision on the arrest warrant will be made at the earliest late afternoon on the same day.
They are accused of obstructing the legitimate execution of arrest warrants by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and the police concerning President Yoon’s case on January 3rd. Furthermore, just before the execution of a second arrest warrant, they allegedly instructed the administrator of the presidential office’s encrypted phone server to delete communication records. In the case of Chief Lee, there was also speculation that he searched for “martial law” on ChatGPT before the declaration of martial law, which he refuted as a forensic investigation error.
Before reaching the warrant review, the police had applied for arrest warrants several times for Deputy Chief Kim and Chief Lee. However, the prosecution had dismissed all three applications for Kim and two for Lee, citing possible disputes over charges of abuse of power under the Security Service Act and a low risk of evidence destruction or flight.
This situation changed last month on the 24th when the police applied for a warrant review by the prosecution. The Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office Warrant Review Committee concluded on the 6th that it was appropriate to request the warrant, siding with the police. The police then reapplied for the fourth and third arrest warrants for the two the day before.
If the arrest warrants are issued and Kim and Lee are detained, it is highly likely that the police will attempt a search and seizure of the encrypted phone server. The police have repeatedly tried to conduct a search and seizure of the encrypted phone server stored at the presidential security office but have been unable to due to opposition from the security office. If hardliners like Deputy Chief Kim and Chief Lee are detained, the police are expected to carry out the search warrant more smoothly.