25.04.16.Today News : Presidential Security Service Blocks Police Raid on Presidential Office / YouTuber ‘WonJeongMan’ gets prison sentence for sexual assault

1. Presidential Security Service Blocks Police Raid on Presidential Office

On the 16th, the Special Investigation Unit for Martial Law under the National Investigation Headquarters of the police attempted a search and seizure at the presidential office and the official residence in Hannam-dong related to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's alleged obstruction of official duties, but the Presidential Security Service has blocked the execution, leading to a standoff lasting over five hours.

Around 10:13 a.m., about 20 officers from the special investigation team presented a search warrant at the entrance of the presidential office and the Hannam-dong residence, attempting to carry out the raid. However, by 3:00 p.m., the Security Service had yet to permit the search.

The police are currently waiting in a second-floor conference room within the west gate information center, discussing the specific search procedures with the Presidential Security Service. However, it appears that without their cooperation, entry is not possible.

The exact reason the Security Service is blocking the warrant execution has not been disclosed. Under the Criminal Procedure Act, a search of locations involving military or official secrets requires the consent of the responsible authority. However, such consent should not be withheld unless the search would harm significant national interests.

The police are targeting the secure phone server within the Presidential Security Service at the presidential office, the service's office within the residence compound, and the residence of the head of the security service.

The goal is to collect evidence proving that former President Yoon and others attempted to block the first arrest attempt by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the police special investigation team on January 3.

Previously, the police had attempted to obtain the secure phone server, a key piece of evidence, in five separate raids, all of which were blocked by the Security Service.

It is believed that the police resumed their search after former President Yoon was removed from office and Vice Director Kim Sung-hoon of the Security Service, who had previously blocked the raids, reportedly submitted his resignation.

Former President Yoon and Vice Director Kim are suspected of mobilizing security staff to obstruct the lawful execution of the police arrest warrant. Kim is also suspected of instructing the secure phone server administrator to delete communication records just before the second arrest warrant was executed.

The police have also included CCTV footage from within the presidential office in their seizure target, related to former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min’s alleged insurrection charges.

Minister Lee is being investigated for allegedly ordering power and water cuts to media companies during the unrest. The police stated that they submitted three search warrant requests to the prosecution to obtain the presidential office's CCTV footage and the secure phone server data related to Lee’s case, but all were denied.

One-line summary : A police raid on the presidential office has been in a five-hour standoff due to obstruction by the Presidential Security Service.

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2. YouTuber ‘WonJeongMan’ gets prison sentence for sexual assault

A YouTuber in his 20s with 11 million subscribers and 55.6 million TikTok followers has received a suspended prison sentence for sexual assault.

The First Division of the Supreme Court (Presiding Justice Noh Tae-ak) finalized a lower court ruling on March 13, sentencing Seo (surname), a man in his 20s, to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 2-year suspension for violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes.

Seo was indicted and detained on charges of aggravated quasi-rape after allegedly taking a woman he had been drinking with to an acquaintance’s (Mr. A’s) house in July 2023 and sexually assaulting her.

The trial court found him guilty and initially sentenced him to 3 years and 6 months in prison. However, the appellate court only acknowledged the quasi-rape charge and reduced the sentence to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 2-year suspension, taking into account that he had reached a settlement with the victim.

Although prosecutors appealed, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, finalizing the suspended sentence.

Mr. A, who was indicted alongside Seo, also received a final sentence of 1 year and 6 months in prison.

Seo was known as the influencer “WonJeongMan,” with 55.6 million TikTok followers and 11 million YouTube subscribers.

One-line summary : Famous YouTuber “WonJeongMan,” with 11 million subscribers, has been sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 2-year suspended sentence for sexual assault.