[News Today] POLICE RAID ON PRES. OFFICE FAILS

[LEAD]
Yesterday, the National Office of Investigation's special team named President Yoon Suk Yeol as an insurrection suspect and initiated a search of the Presidential Office. The Presidential Security Service blocked their entry, resulting in an eight-hour standoff. They could only secure limited materials.

[REPORT]
Police investigators carry out blue boxes and load them into a vehicle.

The special investigation team under the National Office of Investigation carried out a search and seizure order on the Office of the President yesterday morning.

But police investigators failed to enter the area as the presidential office refused them entry. They confronted each other for roughly eight hours before ending the raid at about 7:40 p.m.

The police ended up receiving only partial materials handed over volutarily.

Kim Geun-man / Special investigation team, Nat'l Police Agency
The top office refused entry, claiming there were presidential, military classified information, we received only a small amount of materials. It's regrettable.

The police specified President Yoon Suk Yeol on the warrant as the suspect accused of insurrection and had planned to raid the cabinet meeting room, the presidential office, and the Presidential Security Service.

Their aim was to check the place where the cabinet meeting was held at the time of martial law and to obtain entry records and minutes. But the police said that there were no cabinet meeting minutes or a list of attendants in the materials they received.

Around the same time, the police attempted to raid the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but it failed as well. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said they will discuss the search and seizure issue with the police further.

Meanwhile, the police conducted raids on the National Police Agency, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and the National Assembly Police Security Guard and obtained materials related to martial law.