Police: "No Evidence That Assemblyman Park Hong-bae Pushed with Shield... Illegal Loudspeaker Temporarily Seized"

Rally of Financial Workers' Union Held on the 11th
Assemblyman Park Sustains 2-3 Weeks Recovery Injury

The police clarified that there was no evidence of officers pushing Democratic Party lawmaker Park Hong-bae, who participated and was injured in the nationwide Financial Industry Labor Union (Financial Union) rally, with shields or other means.

Park Hong-bae, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

On the 12th, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency stated, "After reviewing the recorded footage at the time, it was confirmed that the police did not push or knock down (Lawmaker Park) with shields."

The police detected the illegal use of loudspeakers at the Financial Union rally held near National Assembly Station in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. the previous day and temporarily confiscated the equipment.

According to the police, the organizers violated noise regulations from the start of the rally, prompting complaints from nearby citizens such as "The rally speaker noise is too loud." To address this, the police ordered the cessation of loudspeaker use. However, when the organizers continued using the loudspeakers, the police temporarily confiscated them.

During this process, Lawmaker Park, who participated in the rally, was diagnosed with a 2 to 3-week sprain on his right ankle and was taken to the hospital. It is reported that Park claims he was pushed and fell due to the police shields during the suppression.

A police official said, "Going forward, the police will continue to respond according to laws and principles, considering the freedom of assembly and protest as well as the peace of citizens' daily lives."