Yu Jae-seong, acting commissioner general of the police, officially apologized to the public and field officers, admitting that the police blockade of the National Assembly during the December 3 martial law last year was “unconstitutional and illegal.”
On the 1st, during a ‘national police leadership video conference’, Acting Commissioner Yu stated, “Due to the poor judgment of some leaders at the time of martial law, the police, who should protect the freedom of the people and social order, were mobilized for the unconstitutional martial law, causing great disappointment and injury to the public.” He further expressed his apology by saying, “The honor and pride of the field officers who have quietly stood by the people were damaged. I sincerely apologize,” and stood up to bow.
Acting Commissioner Yu acknowledged that the police’s blockade of the National Assembly was an “unconstitutional and illegal act.” He elaborated, “On the night of December 3rd, following the declaration of martial law, the police controlled the entrance of lawmakers around the National Assembly,” describing the actions as unconstitutional and illegal as they disturbed democratic and constitutional order, and threatened the daily lives of citizens. He pledged, “No matter the circumstance, I will never cooperate or side with unconstitutional and illegal acts, and I will work to ensure that unlawful and unjust commands from individual commanders are not passed down without scrutiny.”
He also expressed his intention to establish control mechanisms by citizens over the police. “We will set up thorough control mechanisms by citizens across all police activities, ensuring that the authority entrusted to the police by the people is exercised for the people,” said Acting Commissioner Yu, once again apologizing for past mistakes and promising relentless efforts to regain the trust of the citizens through responsive leadership changes.
During the meeting, which hosted heads of provincial police agencies, affiliated institutions, and police stations nationwide, an opening statement was disclosed to address the police’s missteps during the December 3 martial law. At that time, the police leadership, including Commissioner General Jo Ji-ho and former Seoul Police Chief Kim Bong-sik, delayed the resolution to lift martial law by deploying riot police to block lawmakers and citizens from entering the National Assembly, following President Yoon Seok-yeol’s declaration of martial law. “This meeting serves to apologize to the citizenry for the mistakes made around the National Assembly, fostered by misguided decisions from certain police leadership during the previous martial law, and to reaffirm our commitment to protecting the lives and safety of the citizens with the defense of constitutional order as a fundamental value,” explained the police.