Members Of Parliament Call South Korean President Impeached Yoon Orders Paspampres To Use Weapons

Paspampres South Korea while escorting President Yoon. (Instagram/@presidential_security_service)

JAKARTA - A lawmaker from the opposition on Monday claimed South Korean president, whom Yoon Suk-yeol impeached, ordered security personnel to use weapons against investigators seeking to carry out his detention warrant, related to an investigation into the military emergency announcement made last month.

Politician Youn Kun-young from the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) made the claim based on reports he received from members of the staff of the Presidential Security Service (PSS).

His statement comes amid weeks of deadlock between PSS and a joint investigation team seeking to carry out a detention warrant.

Yoon is known to remain at his residence in Hannam-dong, downtown Seoul, which is heavily guarded by hundreds of PSS members.

"There is continuous information, Yoon urges his bodyguards to use weapons," Youn told a news conference at the National Assembly.

According to the lawmaker, Yoon had lunch with six senior PSS officials on Sunday and told them to prevent police officers from approaching his residence with a knife, if firearms are not allowed.

The parliamentarian's claim follows a similar report by a local newspaper, which said Yoon had a separate dinner with PSS officials on Saturday, ordering them to consider the use of force if investigators seek to implement the warrant.

"Based on the current law, it is clearly illegal for PSS guards to use weapons such as guns and knives in this situation," he explained.

"Yoon must disclose to the public whether he gave the illegal order," he continued.

"Many security officers are risking their lives for the President of the Republic of Korea, not private soldiers hired for an individual," he stressed.

He added that a PSS staff member in a text message sent to him expressed deep disappointment at the president's order to use weapons illegally for his protection.

"(Yoon) shouldn't have asked them to become criminals if he had a sense of responsibility as president of Korea," he said.

"Semakin Yoon menunjukkan kekelasan dengan beberapa pasukan keamanan yang mendukungnya, semakin terbukti mengapa ia harus ditahan dan mengapa pemakzulan dapat di justifikan," tandasnya.