Decision on Kim Seong-hoon and Lee Kwang-woo, who obstructed President's arrest, raises questions about prosecutorial discretion

The Seoul High Prosecutors' Office Warrant Review Committee has recommended the issuance of arrest warrants for Kim Seong-hoon, Deputy Chief of the Presidential Security Service, and Lee Kwang-woo, Head of the Security Department, who were involved in obstructing the arrest of President Yoon Seok-yeol. While the committee's decision is advisory, it carries significant weight, and the prosecution has indicated it will respect the outcome, raising the possibility of arrest warrants being issued.

On the 6th, the review committee convened at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-dong, Seoul, and voted 6 to 3 in favor of issuing arrest warrants for Kim and Lee. In response, an official from the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office stated, "We respect the committee's decision and will proceed with the necessary follow-up measures."

The warrant review system was established in 2021 as part of the reform of investigative powers between the prosecution and the police. It allows for the review of whether a prosecutor's decision to not request a warrant applied for by the police is justified. The review committee consists of nine members, randomly selected from a pool of 20 to 50 experts from various fields, including law, academia, and media, excluding the chairperson.

Previously, the police had applied for arrest warrants for Kim and Lee on charges of obstructing the execution of a warrant (obstruction of special official duties) during the attempted arrest of President Yoon. However, the Western District Prosecutors' Office repeatedly rejected the applications, leading the police to request the convening of the review committee on the 24th of last month.

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