Special investigators on Friday sought to execute a seizure and search warrant at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, naming the state chief a bribery suspect in the extensive corruption scandal, but left after hours of unsuccessful attempts to access the grounds.
Their raid came as a preparatory stage for a face-to-face interrogation of President Park Geun-hye — the first-ever summoning of an incumbent president in the nation’s history, an event which is largely expected to take place late next week.
The independent counsel’s search unit arrived at the Blue House at around 9:51 a.m., suggesting a search warrant was issued by the Seoul Central District Court late on the previous day.
Officials had heralded the search to start at 10 a.m.
The visit marked the first time that the special team, led by Independent Counsel Park Young-soo, tried to force itself into the precincts of the presidential office since it started its investigation in December.
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The places subject to search were the offices of the presidential chief of staff, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, senior presidential secretary for policy coordination, personal secretary to the president, the presidential security team and the medical office.
But Cheong Wa Dae maintained its stern guard, refusing to offer investigators access to the presidential compound, citing “national security” reasons.
After hours of tension at the main gate, the search team withdrew at around 3 p.m.
Park has been accused of letting her civilian confidante Choi Soon-sil meddle in state affairs and amass illegitimate profits by using her high-profile connections.
Denying such allegations and resisting the investigation, Presidential Chief of Staff Han Gwang-ok issued a statement to disallow the prosecutors’ entry.
“The presidential office is categorized as a national security facility which handles military and state secrets, so we cannot accept any raid, according to previous practices,” a ranking official said.
“But we will fully co-operate by submitting the requested documents.”
This came in line with spokesperson Jung Youn-kuk’s remarks on the previous day that the Blue House’s stance remains “unchanged,” denying the reports that a partial search in some of the facilities may be possible.
The situation was reminiscent of October last year, when the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office’s special investigation team were halted while attempting a raid and settled for the set of documents selectively handed over by Cheong Wa Dae.
The team later raided one of the offices affiliated with Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs Woo Byung-woo, which was an annex located outside the presidential compound.
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The legal basis for the defensive presidential office is mainly the Criminal Procedure Code act which states that locations which are related with military and state secrets may not be raided without the consent of the person in charge. The given clause does add that the consent is compulsory, unless the search seriously infringes on the nation’s interest.
With President Park currently suspended upon impeachment, the consenting authority lies upon Prime Minister and acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn who has so far reserved his stance upon the issue.
“We will send out an official letter to the acting president, asking for his co-operation in the search,” said the independent counsel’s spokesperson Lee Kyu-chul.
But as the search warrant is to hold effect for several more days, investigators are pledging to make repeated raiding attempts before summoning the president, according to officials.
The raid would have taken place a day earlier on Thursday, which was President Park’s 65th birthday, but investigators put off the date in consideration of the occasion.
