South Korean Presidential Guard Chief Resigns

South Korean presidential guard chief Park Jong-jun submitted his resignation Sunday to acting president Choi Sung-moon ahead of reporting to the Seoul police station to answer charges that he led a violent resistance against law enforcement agents serving an arrest warrant for the suspended president, Yoon Suk-yeol.

Park went to the Seoul police station's National Special Investigation Headquarters this morning, according to a representative of the acting president. He said in front of reporters that he received an arrest warrant "for an important person" and it was "legally questionable."

The arrest warrant should be applied to Yoon "in a way consistent with his status as president, not to use the method of a physical arrest warrant," said Park. "And I think it is more important that there is no bloodshed between government organizations."

On Jan. 3, agents from the South Korea's high-level public officials crime investigation office (GCIU) attempted to serve an arrest warrant on Yoon at his residence in the posh neighborhood of Hansung-dong in the central Seoul district of Jung-gu. Park ordered roughly 100 members of the presidential guard to confront agents, and the operation ended in failure after the two sides faced off for more than five hours.

The GCIU referred Park's case to the police, and on Jan. 4, the police established a "common investigation headquarters" to investigate and charge Park for obstructing special public duty. Park, who previously resisted arrest, was asked to report to the National Special Investigation Headquarters but declined twice by citing health reasons.

The common investigation headquarters announced on Wednesday that it was considering an arrest warrant for Park and another top official in the presidential guard unit.

Yoon was suspended on Jan. 3 after the National Assembly impeached him for "abuse of authority" and "obstruction of official duty." The National Assembly accused Yoon of allowing illegal surveillance of opposition party officials in 2020 when he was attorney-general, and of ordering illegal government investigations into Choi Jong-kap, a businessman who had donated money to the ruling People Power Party (PPP) during the 2020 presidential campaign and after assuming office.

In response to Yoon's dismissal and suspension, the PPP, with support from the presidential office, attempted to dissolve the National Assembly and hold a new election. But on Jan. 6, the opposition parties took control of the assembly and elected the former prime minister Choi to serve as acting president.