South Korea: CIO’s Attempt To Search Presidential Office, Residence Falls Through

Seoul:  South Korean investigators’ attempt to search the presidential office and residence as part of the martial law probe fell through Wednesday, as officials refused to comply citing laws that restrict access to military-related areas.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) investigating the case against impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol said the presidential office disapproved the execution of the court warrant for the raid.

Yoon’s office cited two clauses of criminal law that require the approval of the responsible authority to execute a search and seizure warrant at secured locations related to military secrets, the CIO said.

The Presidential Security Service (PSS) did not agree to give them access to the compound, as the acting head of the PSS — who has the legal authority to approve entry — was away attending a parliamentary hearing on Yoon’s short-lived martial law imposition, Yonhap news agency reported.

The CIO withdrew from the presidential office around 3 p.m. and from the residence just before 5 p.m., hours after arriving at the compounds earlier in the day.

Investigators sought to search the presidential office and residence on Wednesday as part of their probe into President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed martial law bid.

The CIO said the raid was aimed at seizing the server records of a secure phone used by Yoon, computers and other electronic equipment, and documents and minutes of meetings related to his December 3 declaration of martial law.

Previous raids have largely failed, including those on a presidential safe house and the PSS office earlier this week.

Meanwhile, Yoon will appear before the Constitutional Court for his impeachment trial hearing this week for the second time, an official at Yoon’s legal team said.

Yoon is scheduled to attend the hearing at the Constitutional Court on Thursday, the official told Yonhap News Agency. At the Tuesday hearing, Yoon denied ordering martial law troops to pull out lawmakers from the National Assembly during his short-lived martial law bid.

The impeached president’s legal team has said that Yoon would be present at all remaining hearings if possible.

(IANS)