South Korea: Police Issue Third Summons to Head of Presidential Security Service
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Seoul, Jan 7 (NationPress) On Tuesday, South Korea's Police mandated the head of the Presidential Security Service (PSS), Park Chong-jun, to appear for interrogation later this week. This marks the third summons related to allegations that he hindered investigators' efforts to detain the impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Park has been charged with obstructing official duties following an incident where PSS personnel prevented the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) from carrying out a warrant for Yoon's detention last Friday.
The summons for questioning is scheduled for Friday, after Park disregarded two earlier requests for questioning set for Saturday and Tuesday, as reported by the Yonhap news agency.
The PSS has indicated in a press statement that Park has yet to secure legal representation.
"It is challenging for Park to appear today as he has not yet appointed a lawyer," the statement read. "He will arrange the questioning date after appointing legal counsel either today or tomorrow."
This third summons may be the final opportunity before authorities pursue a warrant for Park's detention.
Yoon, facing accusations of insurrection and abuse of power due to his brief declaration of martial law on December 3, has become the first sitting president at risk of arrest after ignoring three summonses for questioning.
Additionally, Lee Kwang-woo, the head of the PSS's bodyguard division, was also scheduled for questioning on Tuesday under similar obstruction charges. Following his failure to appear, police issued a second summons for him to report on Friday.
Yoon has consistently refused to comply with the CIO's summonses for questioning or warrant executions, arguing that the agency lacks the authority to probe insurrection-related charges.
According to police reports, the CIO and law enforcement are jointly evaluating whether to detain PSS personnel should they attempt to obstruct a subsequent effort to arrest Yoon.
