'Climate' Park Ji-hye, following 'Economy' Lee Jae-sung, from 'Police' background
Lee: "Seeing Ryu Sam-young reminds me of 'courage'... resistance to the regime"
Ryu Sam-young: "Yoon's 'Prosecutor's Office Restoration' is a coup disrupting constitutional order"
The Democratic Party of Korea has recruited former Senior Superintendent Ryu Sam-young as the third talent for next year’s general election. Former Senior Superintendent Ryu led collective actions opposing the establishment of the Police Bureau within the Ministry of the Interior and Safety under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration last year, and after facing disciplinary actions and demotions, he left the police organization.
The Democratic Party’s Talent Committee held a talent recruitment ceremony at the National Assembly on the morning of the 18th and announced the recruitment of former Senior Superintendent Ryu. Party leader Lee Jae-myung said, “When I see former Senior Superintendent Ryu Sam-young, the word ‘courage’ comes to mind,” adding, “The police are a symbol of courage and play a truly important role in maintaining public order in our society.” He continued, “Unfortunately, under this government, there was an attempt to separate the police from the people and place them on the side of power,” praising, “Former Senior Superintendent Ryu Sam-young was a central figure resisting this government’s attempt to seize control of the police.”
On the 18th, at the Democratic Party of Korea's talent recruitment ceremony held at the National Assembly, Representative Lee Jae-myung and Supreme Council Member Seo Young-kyo are welcoming former Senior Superintendent Ryu Sam-young. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Former Senior Superintendent Ryu introduced himself by saying, “I was born as the third son of the ‘Kkangkkangi Ajimae’ who removes rust at the Busan Yeongdo Shipyard,” and outlined his police career. He is a graduate of the 4th class of the Korean National Police University and served as head of the Metropolitan Investigation Unit and Anti-Corruption Investigation Unit at the Busan Police Agency, as well as chief of the Busan Yeonje, Busan Yeongdo, and Ulsan Jungbu Police Stations, dedicating 35 years to the police force. Last year, he led a nationwide police chiefs’ meeting opposing the establishment of the Police Bureau within the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, for which he was disciplined with a three-month suspension. This summer, after being demoted to a superintendent-level position in the regular personnel reshuffle, he submitted his resignation and left the organization.
Former Senior Superintendent Ryu stated, “From the beginning of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, a Police Bureau exercising personnel authority over our senior police officers was newly established within the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and a former prosecutor was appointed as the head of the National Police Agency to seize police investigative authority,” emphasizing, “My firm opposition to the Yoon Seok-yeol government’s attempt to control the police was driven by the belief that the police should stand with the people, not with power, which was the courage that started it all.”
He reiterated, “Looking back at history, all dictatorial regimes such as Syngman Rhee, Park Chung-hee, and Chun Doo-hwan installed a Police Bureau within the Ministry of Home Affairs, the predecessor of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, to control the police, and democratic governments separated the Police Bureau from the Ministry of Home Affairs.” He then criticized, “The Yoon Seok-yeol government is implementing ‘restoration of prosecution’s investigative authority’ by infringing on the police’s authority to conclude investigations and expanding prosecutors’ investigative powers again, calling it an ‘executive order coup’ that disrupts constitutional order.”
On the 18th, Ryu Sam-yeong, the third recruited talent and former police superintendent, is seated at the Democratic Party of Korea's talent recruitment ceremony held at the National Assembly. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Right after the talent recruitment ceremony, former Senior Superintendent Ryu told reporters that when asked if he had a specific electoral district in mind, including his hometown Busan, he said, “I started politics because I thought it was effective to save the collapsing police,” but drew a line by saying, “There is no specific district or anything prepared or decided yet.” When asked about his evaluation of the Democratic Party’s handling of the impeachment motion against prosecutors, he said, “It was very well done,” adding, “Anyone who does wrong should be punished, and this was the first time the Democratic Party showed that.”
Kim Seong-hwan, secretary of the Talent Committee, explained, “The fourth talent to be announced on the 20th is expected to be a young person.” Regarding the possibility of recruiting Colonel Park Jeong-hoon of the Marine Corps, who was indicted without detention on charges including insubordination amid allegations of presidential office interference in the investigation of a Marine’s death, he said, “Active-duty military personnel find it difficult to run for office,” but added, “If he decides to give up his military status, he is a very excellent person, so we will actively consider it.” When asked about contact for talent recruitment, he cautioned against overinterpretation, saying, “It’s just an evaluation that he is a good person.”
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party previously recruited climate crisis expert lawyer Park Ji-hye as the first talent and former NCSoft executive Lee Jae-sung as the second talent for the general election.
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