On the 16th, South Korean police went to the Yongsan Presidential Office and the Hannam-dong Presidential Residence in Seoul for seizure and search, but were unsuccessful due to resistance from the Presidential Security Office.
The Presidential Security Office, citing relevant clauses of the Criminal Procedure Act, refused the seizure and search on the grounds of military or official confidentiality requirements associated with the locations or items. After a 10-hour standoff with the Presidential Security Office, the police decided to abandon the execution of this task.
The police's seizure and search attempt was primarily aimed at obtaining evidence related to former President Yoon Suk-yeol's attempt on January 3 to obstruct the arrest by the High-Ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office and the police.
To ascertain the full story behind Yoon Suk-yeol's emergency martial law declared on December 3 last year, the police had made several unsuccessful attempts to seize and search the Presidential Office and Residence.
On January 26, the Special Investigation Headquarters on Emergency Martial Law of the Korean Prosecution indicted and detained Yoon Suk-yeol on charges of 'insurrection'. On April 4, the Constitutional Court of Korea announced the approval of Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment, resulting in his immediate removal from the presidential office.