Allegedly Drunken And Attacked South Koreans, Secret Service Guards President Joe Biden Returned

JAKARTA - Two American Secret Service agents who were on foreign service in connection with President Joe Biden's work visit to Asia, were repatriated after a man was accused of being drunk and assaulting a South Korean citizen, the day before the president arrived in Seoul, officials said.

A Yongsan District police official told Reuters that one of the agents was arrested in the early hours of Thursday after an argument over a taxi.

Separately, a US official denied that the individual was being held or arrested, saying only that he was "investigated" by South Korean officials.

The official said the other agents involved in the dispute were not being investigated for wrongdoing.

"The Secret Service is aware of an off-duty incident involving two employees that may constitute a potential policy violation," said Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Secret Service.

"Those individuals will be immediately returned to their post of duty and placed on administrative leave. There will be no impact on the forthcoming journey."

The incident took place outside the Grand Hyatt hotel, where President Biden will be staying as he begins his May 20-24 trip to South Korea and Japan. President Biden arrived in Seoul on Friday evening.

TV Chosun, the South Korean broadcaster that first reported on the incident in Seoul, said the suspect was in his 30s and was arrested after a fellow guest at the hotel called the police.

South Korean police officials did not provide names or other information about the suspect.

The Secret Service is the United States security agency that guards the President, Vice President and the White House. Members of the Secret Service have regularly been involved in the past in incidents of misconduct overseas.

In 2012, 11 Secret Service agents were repatriated from Colombia for alleged 'offences' involving disputes with prostitutes, prior to then-President Barack Obama's visit.