Seoul, March 18 (IANS) South Korean prosecutors have filed for warrants to arrest two senior officials of the Presidential Security Service (PSS) accused of obstructing investigators’ attempt to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, officials said on Tuesday.
Prosecutors from the Seoul Western District Prosecutors Office filed the request with the Seoul Western District Court to arrest acting PSS chief Kim Seong-hoon and Lee Kwang-woo, chief of the PSS’s bodyguard division, according to the National Office of Investigation.
Kim and Lee are accused of obstructing the execution of an arrest warrant for Yoon in January, taking unjust personnel actions and instructing subordinates to delete records of phone conversations between Yoon and military commanders involved in the December 3 martial law declaration.
The move came a day after the police again applied for warrants to arrest the two senior PSS officials, Yonhap news agency reported.
Prosecutors earlier rejected the police’s request to seek arrest warrants for the PSS officials over three occasions.
Earlier in the day, South Korea’s Acting President Choi Sang-mok asked the public to respect the upcoming ruling of the Constitutional Court on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment amid concerns over an intensifying social conflict.
“I sincerely urge the people to respect and accept whatever decision the Constitutional Court makes,” Choi said during a Cabinet meeting.
“As tensions between supporters and opponents rise ahead of the Constitutional Court’s crucial decision, public concerns over potential violence and clashes are growing,” he added.
His comments came as the Constitutional Court deliberates whether to reinstate or remove Yoon from office following his impeachment over a brief martial law declaration on December 3.
The court is widely expected to announce its final ruling later this week.
With the final decision looming, large-scale rallies and protests, either opposing or supporting Yoon’s removal, took place in major urban centres across the country over the weekend.
Although the demonstrations ended safely and without any major incidents, many are concerned about possible violence after the ruling.
If Yoon is ousted, the country will be required to hold a snap presidential election within 60 days. If reinstated, he will serve out the remainder of his term till May 2027.
–IANS
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