According to the Kyunghyang Shinmun, ruling-camp lawmakers at the Oct. 15 National Assembly audit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency criticized Yongsan station's response to a Sept. 3 press event. Chief Ko Beom-seok said he would report measures after the investigation.
The Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that at the Oct. 15 audit by the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, held at the Seoul police agency in Jongno, lawmakers said Yongsan police overreacted to a press event outside a Broadcasting Day ceremony. The event was held on Sept. 3 outside the Dragon City venue in Yongsan by non-regular broadcast workers calling for the Labor Standards Act to apply to them.
광고 문의 · 300×250Democratic Party lawmaker Park Jung-hyun claimed that participants had already dispersed before the ceremony began yet police subdued them on a main road, saying she felt as if she were watching “an American movie.” Park Ju-min asked whether police used excessive force in arrests, and Rebuilding Korea Party lawmaker Jung Chun-saeng said Yongsan station's handling of rallies is unusually harsh and should be examined.
Seoul police chief Ko Beom-seok replied that once the related investigation ends he will draw up and report countermeasures based on the result. The lawmakers' claims were made in questioning, and this report alone does not establish whether the police response was unlawful.
Fairness of probes into politicians
Democratic lawmaker Lee Hae-sik called the earlier investigation into the alleged fabricated credentials of Han Dong-hoon's daughter a lax, favor-seeking probe and asked for a review. Ko said it was conducted by law and principle but that he would recheck for any shortcomings. The Kyunghyang Shinmun added that it recently emerged the agency never applied for a search warrant, and that Han's daughter received a no-referral decision in December 2023.
People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Young-jin objected that the cross-complaints between lawmaker Kim Jae-seob and former Seongdong district head Jeong Won-o were assigned differently: Kim's to the Seoul agency's major-crimes unit and Jeong's to Seongdong station. Ko explained that Kim's case first went to Dobong station but, as complaints were filed at several stations with overlapping jurisdiction, was moved to the Seoul agency.
Other issues
On the Oct. 11 killing of a mother-in-law and abduction of a spouse in Songpa, Ko said the victim gave a statement to Yongsan station on Aug. 22, and that the station took interim measures and proposed a smartwatch, which the victim declined at the time.
Lawmaker Yoon Kun-young called for questioning former National Security Office deputy Kim Tae-hyo and former intelligence chief Kim Gyu-hyun over allegations about funding support for the intelligence agency. Ko said police have conducted two searches and are investigating through witness questioning and legal review, promising to push for speed.
