Seoul: Police on Monday requested a higher prosecution office to review their request for an arrest warrant for the acting chief of the Presidential Security Service (PSS) over allegations that he attempted to obstruct President Yoon Suk Yeol's detention.
According to Yonhap News Agency, police investigators handling the case submitted the request to the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office. They are seeking a review of the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office's earlier decision to dismiss their arrest warrant request for acting PSS chief Kim Seong-hoon for the third time.
The warrant review committee, which operates under six high prosecutors' offices nationwide, is responsible for assessing whether prosecutors' decisions to reject arrest warrant requests were appropriate. Police also filed a request for a review of a warrant denial for Lee Kwang-woo, head of the PSS bodyguard division.
Prosecutors had previously denied the requests, arguing that the charges were disputable and that the likelihood of the suspects destroying evidence or fleeing was low. They noted that Kim had voluntarily appeared for questioning. The arrests were sought on charges of obstructing official duties and abuse of power after PSS agents prevented investigators from detaining Yoon in January over his failed martial law attempt the previous month.