South Korean police again raid presidential security service over martial law probe

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - South Korean police on Monday carried out another raid on the Presidential Security Service (PSS) over allegations that it attempted to obstruct investigators from executing a warrant to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol last month.

Officers were dispatched to the PSS office inside the presidential compound in Seoul and were waiting for access to conduct the search and seizure, Yonhap News reported.

The raid targets acting PSS chief Kim Seong-hoon and Lee Kwang-woo, head of the PSS bodyguard division, who are accused of abusing their power and obstructing official duties during an earlier attempt to detain Yoon over his failed martial law bid on Dec. 3.

It marks the fourth raid on the presidential compound since Yoon’s impeachment in December.

Yoon is under criminal investigation for abuse of power and leading an insurrection, making him the first sitting president to be arrested. He is also subject to a travel ban.

Suspended from office since Dec. 14, when parliament voted to impeach him, his case is now before the Constitutional Court, which has up to six months to rule.

Yoon was first detained on Jan. 15 and formally arrested on Jan. 19 in a widening probe into the botched martial law decree, which he defended. He was indicted on Jan. 26.