Phone Calls with Jo Jiho and Lee Sangmin During Martial Law
Opposition Parties Demand Immediate Withdrawal of "Yoon-Aligned Appointments"
Controversy has arisen as Park Hyun-soo, Director of the Police Bureau at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, who is suspected of involvement in the 'December 3 Emergency Martial Law Incident,' was appointed as the Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on the 7th.
Hyunsoo Park, Director of the Police Bureau, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, National Police Agency. Yonhap News
Director Park was appointed to key positions such as the Personnel Verification Team of the Presidential Transition Committee and the National Situation Room of the Presidential Office under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, followed by Director of the Police Intelligence Bureau at the National Police Agency and Director of the Police Bureau at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
It was revealed that Director Park had multiple phone calls with Police Commissioner Jo Ji-ho, Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, and Director of the Police Security Bureau Im Jeong-ju immediately after the declaration of martial law on December 3.
Kim Cheol-moon, Commissioner of the Jeonbuk Police Agency, was appointed from Commissioner of the Gyeongbuk Police Agency; Oh Bu-myeong, Deputy Commissioner for Public Safety of the Seoul Police Agency, was appointed as Commissioner of the Gyeongbuk Police Agency; and Choi Hyun-seok, Deputy Commissioner for Community Safety of the Seoul Police Agency, was appointed as Superintendent of the Central Police Academy.
There were also personnel changes for those promoted to Commissioner rank. Nam Je-hyun, Senior Superintendent currently dispatched to the National Situation Room of the Presidential Office, was appointed as the new Director of the Police Bureau at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
Jo Jeong-rae, Police Intelligence Advisor at the National Police Agency, was promoted and appointed as Deputy Commissioner for Public Safety of the Seoul Police Agency, and Park Jong-seop, Senior Superintendent currently dispatched to the Office for Government Policy Coordination, was promoted and appointed as Deputy Commissioner for Community Safety of the Seoul Police Agency.
Chairman Shin Jeong-hoon of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, Democratic Party Whip Yoon Gun-young, and committee members are making a statement. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung
The Democratic Party of Korea, the Party for Justice and Innovation, and the Basic Income Party stated on the 5th regarding the police high-ranking promotions, “This is a blatant personnel appointment for Yoon Seok-yeol alone, a surprise appointment to silence the rebellion, and we will thoroughly uncover the background,” adding, “It must be immediately withdrawn.”
Members of the National Assembly’s Administrative and Security Committee?Shin Jeong-hoon, Yoon Geon-young, Kim Seong-hoe, Mo Kyung-jong, Park Jeong-hyun, Yang Bu-nam, Yong Hye-in, Wi Seong-gon, Lee Gwang-hee, Lee Sang-sik, Lee Hae-sik, Jeong Chun-saeng, Chae Hyun-il, and Han Byung-do?said in a statement that day, “This police personnel appointment must be reconsidered from the beginning.”
They said, “The police’s blockade of the National Assembly and the power and water cutoffs to media outlets related to the emergency martial law involvement allegations have not been properly investigated, yet a surprise appointment of the highest-ranking police officials was carried out,” and criticized, “According to the current Police Officers Act, appointments of police officers at the Senior Superintendent level or above are made by the President upon recommendation by the Minister of the Interior and Safety, who receives recommendations from the Commissioner of the National Police Agency. However, three acting officials committed this personnel atrocity.”
They added, “Park Hyun-soo, Commissioner who served from the Yoon Seok-yeol government’s transition committee to the National Situation Room and Director of the Police Bureau at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety; Jo Jeong-rae, Senior Superintendent from the 101 Security Unit of the Yoon Seok-yeol government; and Nam Je-hyun, Senior Superintendent currently working at the National Situation Room of the Presidential Office, are figures who have prospered under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration,” and said, “This proves that the police have still not escaped the shadow of Yoon Seok-yeol, the leader of the rebellion.”
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