hankyoreh

Supporters of Yoon Suk-yeol rally in the vicinity of the presidential residence on Jan. 3, 2025. (Kim Young-won/Hankyoreh)

Newly obtained text messages show that after the first failed attempt to place Yoon Suk-yeol under arrest in January, an administrative official in the presidential office gave instructions to rally the president’s fervent supporters around the presidential residence, where he was holed up. One message gives specific instructions for supporters to stand by at certain locations in case of an emergency. 

The texts show that efforts to exploit Yoon’s supporters as human shields for the disgraced president began in January, at the latest.   
 
The text Sung Sam-young, an administrative officer working for the presidential senior secretary for civil society at the time, sent to the YouTuber Shin Hye-sik on Jan. 3 included a map showing Shin where Yoon’s supporters, who had begun holding rallies around the presidential residence, should be sent on standby for an assumed confrontation. 
 
Jan. 3 was when an initial attempt to arrest Yoon ended in failure amid continued rallies around the residence by both Yoon supporters and organizations calling for his immediate arrest.  

At 10:16 pm on Jan. 3, Sung sent an image of a map marking specific locations around the presidential residence to Shin, saying, “There is a children’s playground at the location marked with a star. You need to stake out there. The presidential residence is right in front of the fence at Mt. Maebong.”
 
“We need to gather supporters, as the Presidential Security Service is having difficulty responding without sufficient support from the military and police,” Sung added. 

Text messages sent by Sung Sam-young, an administrative officer working in the office of the senior secretary to the president for civil society under the Yoon administration, to the YouTuber Shin Hye-sik with a map of the vicinity of the presidential residence and a message saying that Yoon supporters needed to rally there. (courtesy of Shin)

In a situation in which even the military and police were hesitant to go out of their way to escort Yoon, Sung was attempting to use Yoon’s supporters, unarmed civilians, as human shields for the president. 
 
The stated purpose of Sung’s texts to Shin was purportedly to prevent the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions from storming into the presidential residence. Speaking disparagingly of the union, Sung wrote, “We have received information that the KCTU scum are planning on attacking the presidential residence tonight through the mountain trail. Please ask the head of security at the presidential residence where the right-wing civilians should be deployed.” 

However, the union and other civil society groups showed no indication of plans to use brute force to enter the presidential residence that day.
 
Sung appears to have continually attempted to exploit Yoon’s supporters in the harrowing circumstances leading up to his eventual arrest. Sung sent another message to Shin on Jan. 13 saying, “I would like to have lunch with you at 12 pm on Jan. 17.” 

Sung eventually resigned from his post in the presidential office after it came out that he had circulated a text reading, “Please show your support for the president by appearing in front of the Constitutional Court,” ahead of Yoon’s appearance at the Court for his impeachment trial.
 
Shin told the Hankyoreh that he had “never heard of Sung” before he contacted him for the first time on Jan. 3.

“I am aware that those affiliated with other organizations also received the same text. I did not acquiesce to his request, as I deemed that following those orders would endanger the safety of the civilians coming together to show their support,” the YouTuber said. 
 
Shin argued that an investigation should be carried out to reveal whether this order was an independent decision made by Sung and whether the former administrator had any ties to the riot at the Seoul Western District Court in January, where Yoon supporters ransacked a courthouse after it issued a warrant to take Yoon into custody. 

By Jang Jong-woo, staff reporter

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