Yeo: "Will Never Allow Power Control"... Formation of 'Countermeasure Team to Prevent Yoon Administration's Police Takeover'

"Local Police System to Be Legislated by September"

Seo Young-kyo, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea who served as the Chairperson of the Public Administration and Security Committee in the first half of the 21st National Assembly, visited the Seoul Seodaemun-gu Police Agency on the 23rd to condemn the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's police control and to urge the neutrality of the police. Photo by the National Assembly Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] The Democratic Party, which formed the "Countermeasure Team to Prevent Police Control by the Yoon Seok-yeol Administration," criticized the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's plan to establish a Police Bureau, stating that "checks and balances of investigative and power institutions must be conducted through democratic procedures and public consensus."

Seo Young-kyo, the head of the countermeasure team, issued a statement on the 3rd, saying, "Regarding the current government's 'police control and police regulation,' police officers themselves, the National Assembly, journalists, scholars, and even government officials and ruling party lawmakers have pointed out problems," and added, "The Yoon Seok-yeol administration announced plans to create a 'Police Bureau,' equivalent to the 'Security Headquarters,' a relic of past dictatorship eras."

She continued, "The 30 years of efforts to establish democratic policing are being reversed solely through amendments to enforcement ordinances without going through the legislative process of the National Assembly," and criticized, "This must not happen."

She also stated, "The Minister of the Interior and Safety conducted one-on-one interviews with candidates for the Commissioner of the National Police Agency and changed the appointment of the Superintendent General, which was publicly announced to the media just two hours prior," adding, "Intentions to subordinate the police to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and manipulate them according to the regime's needs are continuously being revealed."

Seo said, "As an investigative agency, the police must investigate even the living power fairly," and questioned, "If power institutions control the police, wouldn't the investigative agency be shaken according to the will of the power?"

She further criticized, "The current democratic police system was established through public consensus over 30 years ago," and said, "Who would understand the sincerity if it is reverted back to direct control by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety within a month?"

Additionally, she mentioned the direction of the countermeasure team's activities, stating, "We will take sufficient time to gather public opinion and expert feedback."

She also declared, "We will never allow control by power," and pledged to uncover the truth behind allegations of power interference and prepare related countermeasures.

Seo said, "We will do our best to realize the 'National Police Commission' and to quickly establish the 'Autonomous Police System,'" and added, "We will legislate this within the political National Assembly session in September."

The countermeasure team task force includes Baek Hye-ryun and Han Byung-do as deputy heads, Im Ho-seon as secretary, and Kim Min-chul, Yang Ki-dae, Oh Young-hwan, Lee Hae-sik, Lee Hyung-seok, and Hwang Un-ha as members. Former Minister of the Interior and Safety Jeon Hae-cheol is also involved.