Seoul Cheongjang Acting Director: "No Objection Raised During 12·3 Martial Law"

Park Hyun-soo, acting commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, stated on the 18th that there was "no such fact" regarding whether he raised any issues during the '12·3 Emergency Martial Law'.

Yong Hye-in, Basic Income Party member. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On the same day, at the plenary meeting of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, Park responded to a question from Yong Hye-in, a lawmaker from the Basic Income Party, asking, "Did you ever recommend to Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min or Commissioner General of the National Police Agency Jo Ji-ho during the '12·3 Emergency Martial Law' that the National Assembly's access should not be restricted?"

Lawmaker Yong criticized, saying, "The Seoul commissioner is at risk of being vacant due to consecutive charges of treason twice," and added, "All of his superiors are currently under investigation as key personnel."

When asked if he was qualified to be the Seoul commissioner, Park replied, "I was only questioned as a witness," and said, "I reiterate that I was not involved in the martial law at all."

Lawmaker Yong pointed out, "You could be converted to a suspect at any time, so shouldn't you have refused?" to which Park responded, "I am aware of the concerns about me."

Earlier, controversy arose when Park Hyun-soo, director of the Police Bureau at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, was appointed as the Seoul commissioner on the 7th. Park, during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, was appointed to key positions including the personnel verification team of the Presidential Transition Committee, dispatched to the Presidential Office's National Situation Room, 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 Park had multiple phone calls shortly after the martial law declaration with Jo Ji-ho, Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, and Lim Jeong-ju, director of the Police Security Bureau at the National Police Agency.