Detective Lacks Arrest Equipment
No Record of Receiving Arrest List
The Police National Investigation Headquarters Special Investigation Unit has strongly denied reports related to the prosecution's investigation that claimed 50 police officers were mobilized into a political arrest squad on the day of the December 3 emergency martial law declaration.
Jeon Chang-hoon, the Investigation Planning Officer of the Police National Investigation Headquarters, expressed his "deep regret" regarding the report during a briefing held at the Seoul Seodaemun Police Agency on the 26th.
Jeon acknowledged that on the day of the martial law declaration, the Defense Counterintelligence Command (Bangcheopsa) provided a list of 10 detectives for on-site guidance purposes. He also stated that there was mention of arrests when the request was made by Bangcheopsa. However, Jeon clarified, "I understood that the arrests were to be made of individuals violating the Martial Law Act, not politicians."
He further explained that the 10 detectives from the Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station dispatched to the site were unaware that they might be involved in making arrests. Jeon said, "Since they were there for guidance purposes, they were not equipped with handcuffs or other arrest tools and only carried mobile phones and radios," adding, "They testified to the prosecution that they had no awareness of the possibility of being mobilized for arrests."
Regarding reports by some media outlets that 50 police officers were mobilized into a squad to arrest members of the National Assembly, Jeon explained that this was misleading. He stated, "It is true that about 60 detectives from the Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station gathered in front of the hydrogen car charging station at the National Assembly," but added, "They went there after hearing that the National Assembly fence might collapse." He emphasized again, "After the martial law declaration, we did not receive any lists of location tracking or arrest orders from Bangcheopsa."
Earlier, on the 19th, the Prosecution's Emergency Martial Law Special Investigation Headquarters (Special Investigation Unit) conducted raids on the Police National Investigation Headquarters Investigation Planning Coordination Office, Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station, and the Ministry of National Defense Investigation Headquarters after suspicions arose that 10 detectives from the violent crimes unit were dispatched to an arrest squad to detain key politicians at the request of Bangcheopsa. During this process, the prosecution seized mobile phones belonging to Woo Jong-su, the head of the National Investigation Headquarters, among others.
At that time, Director Woo expressed through the police special investigation unit, "As the head, I deeply regret the seizure of a witness's mobile phone despite the establishment of a joint investigation headquarters for a strict investigation," and stated, "We will continue to conduct a thorough investigation without wavering under the joint investigation headquarters system."
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