Seoul: Detained South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met with the leadership of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and urged them to unite together to “bring hope” for the youth and the people, officials said Monday.
Yoon made the call during his meeting with PPP interim leader Kwon Young-se, PPP floor leader Kweon Seong-dong and Rep. Na Kyung-won at the Seoul Detention Centre in Uiwang, south of Seoul.
“(Yoon) asked the party to unite and play a role in bringing hope for the people, including the youth in their 20s and 30s,” Na told reporters after their visit.
Their talks also touched on concerns about South Korea’s future against the backdrop of the current international politics and global economy, she added.
On his martial law declaration, Yoon explained it was a measure taken “out of heavy responsibility” to prevent the National Assembly from effectively becoming a “one-party dictatorship” by the main opposition Democratic Party.
The impeached president was formally detained on January 19 over allegations of insurrection and abuse of power related to his short-lived imposition of martial law on December 3, Yonhap news agency reported.
Earlier in the day, South Korean Police said that they were trying to raid the Presidential Security Service (PSS) in connection with its alleged attempt to block investigators from executing a warrant to detain President Yoon Suk Yeol last month.
The raid targets acting PSS chief Kim Seong-hoon and Lee Kwang-woo, head of the PSS bodyguard division, who are suspected of obstructing official duties and abusing their power to stop investigators during their first attempt to detain Yoon over his short-lived imposition of martial law.
Police said investigators have been sent to the PSS office on the presidential office compound in Yongsan, central Seoul, and are currently waiting to be given access for the search and seizure.
Investigators were also sent to search Kim and Lee’s homes, where they secured two phones each — a personal cellphone and a secure work cellphone.
The server for the secure phones is located at the PSS office.
Police have twice requested arrest warrants for Kim and Lee but both times were rejected by the prosecution.
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