Presidential Security Service

Presidential Security Service

Hangul 대통령경호실
Hanja 大統領警護室
Revised Romanization Dae Tong Ryeong Gyeong Ho Shil
McCune–Reischauer Daetongryung Kyunghosil
Presidential Security Service
대통령경호실
Dae Tong Ryeong Gyeong Ho Shil
Daetongryung Kyunghosil
Agency overview
Formed 1963
Superseding agency
  • Kyong Mu Dae Presidential Security Police (First)
    Blue House Presidential Police (Second)
Jurisdiction Government of South Korea
Headquarters Near Blue House
Agency executive
  • Yom Sang Guk, Chief Officer
Website Official Site

Presidential Security Service (Korean : 대통령경호실, Hanja : 大統領警護室, Dae Tong Ryeong Gyeong Ho Shil), or PSS for short, is a South Korean close protection agency. Based on the United States Secret Service, the South Korean PSS is an independent agency responsible for the protection of the President of South Korea and the Blue House.

The unit is currently being commanded by Yom Sang Guk, 12th chief officer of the PSS.[1] Its headquarters and related support units are based near the Blue House.[2]

History

PSS Agents during Park Geun-hye's Presidential Inauguration in 2013.

The PSS had been established in 1949 as the Kyong Mu Dae Presidential Security Police.[3] Its name soon changed in 1960 to the Blue House Presidential Police with a Security Force raised in 1961 to closely guard Park Chung Hee.[3]

The unit had a name change again, this time to the PSS, after the PSS Law 157 had passed in 1963 with Hong Jong Chul as its first chief[3] under the direction of the Gyeongmundae Police Force.[4] Yet Pak Chong-gyu headed the PSS from 1963 to 1974.[5] PSS responsibilities were increased after North Korean soldiers of the 124th Army Unit attacked the Blue House in 1968.[6][7]

In 1974, the PSS was granted more power over the South Korean military and various law enforcement agencies under the enactment of Security Committee for presidential protection (Executive Order 7246) and of Security Control Unit for presidential protection (Executive Order 7246)[8] after Park Chung Hee's wife, Yuk Young-soo was killed.[9]

The abolishment of Security Committee for presidential protection (Executive Order 9692) and abolishment of Security Control Unit for presidential protection (Executive Order 9692) came in 1979 after Park Chung Hee had been assassinated. In 1981, the PSS was mandated, by the revision of PSS directives,[10] to protect former South Korean presidents and their families.[8]

The PSS was involved in the close protection of Pope John Paul II during an attempt to attack him when he visited the country on May 6, 1984 in Seoul.[10]

On February 1, 1989, the Cheongnamdae (Presidential retreat) guard squad was formed.[11]

On April 1, 1993, the Mugunghwa Dongsa (Korean: Clearing away of the security house) division was created to act as a counter-terrorism unit.[12] On March 3, 1999, a PSS Multi Security Training Center was created.[13]

During the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the PSS established the Cheong Wa Dae World Cup Safety Measures Team and the World Cup Security & Safety Control Division to bolster security on South Korean soil[13]

The PSS was relieved of their guard duties of the Blue House on April 18, 2003 as jurisdiction was given to the Chungcheongbuk-do Provincial Government.[14] On January 1, 2005, the Pusan APEC Security Safety Control Group was established by the PSS[14]

The Presidential Security Safety Measures Committee was legalized as a committee on March 10, 2005.[14]

Duties

Among the duties conducted by PSS agents include close protection for the following:[8][15]

  1. President of South Korea and family
  2. Blue House
  3. Former Presidents of South Korea and family after 7 years
  4. Visiting heads of state
  5. Domestic/Foreign VIPs, under approval of the PSS

Organization

As of 2008, the PSS had been organized into the following:[16]

Code and Pledge

The PSS has a code and a pledge that its agents must abide by at all times:

Code

Unity - The will for unity amongst all and conformity with the President reflecting the teamwork orientated characteristic of security duties[17]

Loyalty - The very basic mental attitude of security agents towards the nation and its people[17]

Eternity - Security duties pursue eternal honor to the end by being with the President with a precondition of self-sacrifice[17]

Honor - Expertise and dignity of the security duty based on sacrifice and service[17]

Pledge

  1. One, we will lay down our lives for the successful execution of our duties.[17]
  2. Another, we will act in a righteous and truthful manner.[17]
  3. Third, we will firmly unify on the basis of mutual trust.[17]
  4. Fourth, we will guard the preservation of public peace like our lives.[17]
  5. Fifth, we will guard the honor and maintain dignity.[17]

Firearms

References

  1. ↑ Greetings. Retrieved on January 24, 2008.
  2. ↑ Location. Retrieved on January 24, 2008.
  3. 1 2 3 Presidential Security Service at GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved on January 24, 2008.
  4. ↑ Introduction to PSS. Retrieved on January 24, 2008.
  5. ↑ Joo-Hong Kim, "The Armed Forces" pp. 168-199, at pp. 181, 191, in Kim and Vogel, editors, The Park Chung Hee Era. The transformation of South Korea (Harvard University 2011).
  6. ↑ History of Activities, The 3rd Republic. Retrieved on January 24, 2008.
  7. ↑ Scenes from an Unfinished War: Low-Intensity Conflict in Korea, 1966-1968
  8. 1 2 3 Presidential Security Service at FAS.org. Retrieved on January 24, 2008.
  9. ↑ History of Activities, the 4th Republic. Retrieved on January 24, 2008
  10. 1 2 History of Activities, the 5th Republic. Retrieved on January 24, 2008
  11. ↑ History of Activities, the 6th Republic. Retrieved on January 24, 2008.
  12. ↑ History of Activities, Civilian Government. Retrieved on January 24, 2008.
  13. 1 2 History of Activities, People's Government. Retrieved on January 24, 2008.
  14. 1 2 3 History of Activities, Participatory Government. Retrieved on January 24, 2008.
  15. ↑ Duties. Retrieved on January 24, 2008.
  16. ↑ Organizations & Functions. Retrieved on January 24, 2008.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Code & Pledge. Retrieved on January 24, 2008.
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