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Two U.S. Secret Service agents in South Korea were sent stateside ahead of President Biden’s arrival following their involvement in an off-duty alcohol-related incident.
The two agents, whose identities have not been made public, are on their way back to Washington, D.C. where they will face disciplinary action, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News.
The agents were not assigned to the presidential team and were in South Korea ahead of the trip for logistical reasons.
A U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division police car is parked in front of the White House in Washington, April 21, 2022.
(Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Both agents apparently became intoxicated while not on duty. One of the agents then got into an altercation with a cab driver.
In South Korea, officials send mediators to the scene of low-level disputes and then determine if criminal charges would be filed.
One of the agents was interviewed by authorities and no charges have been filed.
“The Secret Service is aware of an off-duty incident involving two employees which may constitute potential policy violations,” USSS chief spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told Fox News. “We have very strict protocols and policies for all employees and we hold ourselves to the highest professional standards.”
U.S. President Joe Biden, disembarks from Air Force One on his arrival at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, Friday, May 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, Pool)
(AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, Pool)
BIDEN ON HIS FIRST ASIA TOUR AS PRESIDENT WILL VISIT SOUTH KOREA, JAPAN
Guglielmi noted that both agent have been placed on administrative leave and said there was “no impact” on Biden’s trips.
“Given this is an active administrative personnel matter, we are not in a position to comment further at this time.”
Biden met with South Korea’s newly-elected President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul Friday where the two toured a Samsung electronics campus.
President Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol deliver remarks as they vist the Samsung Electronics Pyeongtaek campus, Friday, May 20, 2022, in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The visit marks his first trip to Asia since entering office.
The Samsung plant will be used as a model for a factory being built in Texas as the U.S. looks to lower its dependence of electronic goods on China.
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Biden will also visit Japan during his Asia trip.
The White House said the president’s visits will strengthen U.S. ties to allies in Asia as the international community faces increased threats from North Korea, China and Russia.
