The top two officials of the Presidential Security Service snubbed a police request to appear for questioning Saturday, a day after foiling the state anti-corruption agency's attempt to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol.
In a message to media, the PSS said neither its Chief Park Chong-jun nor Deputy Kim Seong-hoon could leave their positions "even for a moment," citing the gravity of the situation in providing security for Yoon.
The PSS added they were in talks with police to reschedule the questioning session.
On Friday, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials sought to execute its warrant to arrest Yoon over his failed martial law bid from December. However, the CIO halted its attempt after a standoff with PSS officials and soldiers for some six hours, saying some 200 people had formed a human wall that blocked entry to the presidential residence.
The PSS, in turn, threatened to take legal action against "unauthorized trespassing."
The six opposition parties, led by the Democratic Party, demanded punishment for Park over his role in Friday's standoff.
In a joint press conference at the National Assembly, the floor leaders of the six parties said Park should be immediately removed from his position and be arrested on charges of obstruction of official duties, concealment of an offender and abuse of power.
The parties also accused Park and the rest of the PSS of being accomplices to insurrection. They charged that acting President Choi Sang-mok is also responsible for the standoff and that he must get the PSS to cooperate with the CIO.
The opposition parties called on the CIO to execute the arrest warrant "quickly," adding, "There must never be another retreat."
Addressing Friday's development, the defense ministry said Saturday that acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho had told the PSS that it would "not be appropriate" to deploy soldiers to prevent the CIO from detaining Yoon.
The soldiers that formed the blockade serve for a subordinate unit of the Capital Defense Command in charge of security around the presidential compound.
According to the ministry, Kim had also told the commander of the subordinate unit that its soldiers must not get into any physical confrontation with police.
The PSS has denied claims that the unit's servicemen were brought in for the occasion. While the unit belongs to the defense command, the PSS is in charge of command and control on the presidential compound. (Yonhap)
