‘Opposition to Police Bureau’ Former Chief Inspector Ryu Sam-yeong Loses Suspension Cancellation Lawsuit

A first-instance ruling upheld the three-month suspension of former Senior Superintendent Ryu Sam-young, who led the 'National Police Chiefs Meeting (Senior Superintendent Meeting)' in opposition to the establishment of the Police Bureau under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

Ryu Sam-yeong, former police superintendent who led the nationwide police chiefs' meeting in opposition to the establishment of the Police Bureau under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, is expressing his position to the press after receiving a ruling to maintain a 3-month suspension at the first trial for cancellation of the suspension decision held on the afternoon of the 18th at the Seoul Administrative Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The Seoul Administrative Court, Administrative Division 14 (Presiding Judge Song Gak-yeop) ruled on the 18th that former Senior Superintendent Ryu lost the lawsuit he filed against the Commissioner of the National Police Agency seeking to cancel the suspension order.

The court stated, "The disciplinary grounds are recognized due to violations of the duty of obedience and the duty to maintain dignity," and added, "It is difficult to see the disciplinary measure as an abuse of discretion."

Former Senior Superintendent Ryu, while serving as the Chief of Ulsan Jungbu Police Station, led a nationwide police chiefs meeting attended by 54 senior superintendents opposing the establishment of the Police Bureau on July 23, 2022, and was suspended for three months on December 13 of the same year.

The Central Disciplinary Committee of the National Police Agency judged that former Senior Superintendent Ryu did not comply with the order from Police Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun to halt the police chiefs meeting, and later violated the duties of obedience and maintaining dignity by giving interviews to the media.

Along with the administrative lawsuit, former Senior Superintendent Ryu also filed a request for suspension of execution to halt the effect of the suspension order. The court suspended the effect in March last year, stating, "There is room to dispute whether the disciplinary action was illegal."

In July last year, when he was reassigned to a position typically held by officers of the rank of Superintendent, which is lower than Senior Superintendent, Ryu resigned, demanding "an end to retaliatory personnel actions." He later ran as a Democratic Party candidate for Dongjak District in Seoul in the April 10 general election but lost to Na Kyung-won, the candidate from the People Power Party.

After the verdict, former Senior Superintendent Ryu said, "Although I retired while the disciplinary effect was suspended, so (even if I win) there is practically no change, I had hoped to challenge the Police Bureau after the court formally recognized my actions as valid, but it was not accepted, which is regrettable," and added, "I plan to appeal to contest the disciplinary effect."