Police Chief: "Presidential Office Ordered to Wait Near Office Before Martial Law Declaration"

"Don't Know Who Ordered Election Commission Troop Deployment"

Police Chief Jo Ji-ho stated regarding contact with the Presidential Office on the day of the emergency martial law declaration, “There was no contact after the martial law was declared,” and “Before that, a Presidential Office official asked if it would be possible to wait near the office around quitting time.”

Shin Jeong-hoon, Chairman of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee. Photo by Yonhap News

Chief Jo made these remarks in response to a question from Assemblyman Shin Jeong-hoon during the full meeting of the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee that day.

Regarding whether he had a phone call with Counterintelligence Commander Yeo In-hyung, Chief Jo said, “After the martial law declaration, since the investigation headquarters could be organized under the jurisdiction of counterintelligence, I requested support for necessary personnel.”

When asked who ordered the deployment of police forces from the National Election Commission, Chief Jo replied, “I was contacted by the Martial Law Command, but I don’t know who it was.”

When Assemblyman Shin scolded him, saying, “How can you not know who it was?” he excused himself by saying, “I did not receive it directly; I will check through my staff and report back.”