Kim Seong-hoon, acting head of the Presidential Security Service, appears for police questioning at the headquarters of the National Office of Investigation in western Seoul on Friday. Yonhap
Kim Seong-hoon, acting head of the Presidential Security Service, appears for police questioning at the headquarters of the National Office of Investigation in western Seoul on Friday. Yonhap

Acting chief of the Presidential Security Service Kim Seong-hoon, accused of obstruction of official duties by blocking investigators from serving a court-issued warrant to arrest President Yoon Suk Yeol, was detained by the police Friday.

Kim's detention followed the police and the anti-corruption agency’s second attempt at executing a warrant to detain the impeached President on Wednesday. Their first failed attempt involved a five-hour standoff with the PSS on Jan. 3.

Police detained Kim around 10 a.m. after he arrived at the National Office of Investigation's headquarters in western Seoul for questioning.

Officials obtained a detention warrant for Kim after he snubbed police summons three times in recent weeks.

In response to a reporter asking whether he admitted to obstructing police duties, Kim said he was merely carrying out "legitimate security duties,” before entering the NOI headquarters. He also denied the allegations that he ordered PSS agents to use weapons against the police and investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials.

"Our job primarily requires us to always carry weapons," he explained.

Police initially sought to detain Kim Wednesday during their second attempt to detain Yoon. However, the plan was pushed back upon request from Yoon’s side. Kim told the police he would heed the fourth police summons and attend the questioning with his attorney.

Kim became acting head of the PSS after former chief Park Jong-jun stepped down on Jan. 10. Park was booked by the police on charges of obstructing official duties when PSS guards blocked investigators' access to Yoon, who was holding out inside the presidential residence, on Jan. 3. Unlike Park, who is a former police official, Kim ascended to PSS leadership from inside the organization, having first been hired as a security officer in 1996.