The chief of the Presidential Security Service has defended his agency’s efforts to prevent President Yoon Suk Yeol’s arrest on Friday, saying it was only providing security to a sitting president as prescribed by law.

Secret service chief Park Chong-jun voiced the position in a statement on Sunday, saying his agency does not intend to indiscriminately obstruct law enforcement. 

Park said that even though Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly, he is still the incumbent president elected by the people and is entitled to security services in accordance with the law. 

Park continued that there is controversy as to whether the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which attempted to serve the arrest warrant on Friday and take the president into custody, has the authority to investigate treason cases.

He added that Yoon’s legal team has filed for an injunction with the Constitutional Court to suspend the validity of the warrant.
 
The secret service chief said he decided that complying with the execution of the controversial arrest warrant would mean abandoning his agency’s core mandate to protect the president and would therefore constitute dereliction of duty.

Park said he is willing to take legal responsibility if that turns out to be an error in judgment.