The National Office of Investigation (NOI) of the Korean National Police Agency said on Monday that the document sent by the state anti-corruption agency regarding the transfer of the execution of the arrest warrant for Yoon Suk-yeol contained "legal flaws," making it difficult for the police to comply with.
The police believe the document sent by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) requesting the execution of the arrest warrant for impeached Yoon is legally flawed, and the execution of the warrant should take place within the framework of the joint investigation unit, according to Youn Kun-young, a member of the Public Administration and Security Committee of South Korea's national assembly, after a visit to the NOI.
The joint investigation unit consists of the CIO, the NOI and the defense ministry's investigation headquarters.
According to local media reports, the police's stand implies that the responsibility for executing the arrest warrant lies with CIO prosecutors, with the police playing a supporting role rather than serving as the main executor.
The NOI said Monday afternoon that the police are discussing methods for executing the arrest warrant within the framework of the joint investigation unit with the CIO, adding it is also considering measures to address potential obstruction by personnel from the presidential security service, including options such as arresting security service members who interfere with the execution of the arrest warrant.
Earlier in the day, the CIO said that after considering the police's professionalism in executing arrest warrants and the need for a unified command structure at the scene, it had decided to transfer the task of arresting Yoon to the NOI so as to carry out the arrest more quickly and efficiently.
South Korean police say difficult to execute Yoon's arrest warrant
