Presidential Security Service


Presidential Security Service, 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 the Prime Minister of South Korea their respective families, the Blue House, Chongri Gonggwan and visiting heads of state. The agents go through years of rigorous training, background, physical, health, mental health and educational checks before they officially become a PSS agent and get their first assignment.
The unit is currently being commanded by Yoo Yeon-sang, a vice-ministerial Head of the PSS. Its headquarters and related support units are based near the Blue House.

History

The PSS had been established in 1949 as the Kyong Mu Dae Presidential Security Police. 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.
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 under the direction of the Gyeongmundae Police Force. Yet Pak Chong-gyu headed the PSS from 1963 to 1974. PSS responsibilities were increased after North Korean soldiers of the 124th Army Unit attacked the Blue House in 1968.
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 and of Security Control Unit for presidential protection after Park Chung Hee's wife, Yuk Young-soo, was killed.
The abolition of the Security Committee for presidential protection and abolition of Security Control Unit for presidential protection came in 1979 after Park Chung Hee had been assassinated. In 1981, the PSS was mandated, by the revision of PSS directives, to protect former South Korean presidents and their families.
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.
On February 1, 1989, the Cheongnamdae guard squad was formed.
On April 1, 1993, the Mugunghwa Dongsa division was created to act as a counter-terrorism unit. On March 3, 1999, a PSS Multi Security Training Center was created.
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
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. On January 1, 2005, the Pusan APEC Security Safety Control Group was established by the PSS
The Presidential Security Safety Measures Committee was legalized as a committee on March 10, 2005.
PSS has been through numerous changes across administrations, such as the status of its head - ministerial or vice-ministerial - and organisation itself from the office to the division as well as its hierarchy within the Office of the President. President Moon Jae-in lowered the status of the head of PSS to a vice ministerial level and downgraded its status to an independent division under the President although its English name doesnt reflect this changes.

Duties

Among the duties conducted by PSS agents include close protection for the following:
  1. The President of South Korea and his/her family
  2. The President-elect and his/her family
  3. The Acting President and his/her spouse
  4. Former Presidents and their spouse and children receive security service protection within ten years after retirement from office only where it is not against his/her wish
  5. Head of a state or head of executive branch of a foreign country visiting Korea, and his/her spouse
  6. Any other domestic and foreign persons that the Chief of the Presidential Security Service deems to be necessary to protect

    Organization

As of 2008, the PSS had been organized into the following:
The PSS has a code and a pledge that its agents must abide by at all times:

Code and Pledge

Code

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

    Firearms