Special Committee Clashes Over Police Response to Olympic Park Protest... Ruling and Opposition Dispute Level of Intervention (Comprehensive)

National Innovation Party: "Too Passive"

People Power Party: "Concern Over Excessive Use of Public Authority"

Seoul Police Chief: "Citizen Safety Is Top Priority... Strict Response to Illegal Acts"

At the National Assembly's Special Committee for the National Investigation into the Truth Behind the Ballot Paper Shortage and the Reform of the National Election Commission, ruling and opposition parties clashed over the role of the police regarding protests at Olympic Park.

On July 1, the special committee held its second agency briefing at the National Assembly. The committee continued its questioning of Minister of the Interior and Safety Hojoong Yoon and Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Jeongbo Park, among others. During the afternoon session, disagreements among committee members emerged over the police response to the occupation of the Olympic Park ballot counting center.

The National Innovation Party urged the police to respond more proactively for the safety of citizens, while the Democratic Party of Korea emphasized the need to find reasonable solutions based on cooperation between the police and citizens. The People Power Party expressed concern over the use of excessive public authority, stating that forced dispersal through the use of physical force should be avoided.

Noh Taeak, former Chairman of the National Election Commission, and Wi Cheolhwan, Acting Chairperson of the National Election Commission, attended the 3rd plenary meeting of the Special Committee on National Assembly Investigation for the Truth-finding of the Ballot Shortage Incident and Election Management Reform held at the National Assembly on July 1, 2026. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Chun Saeng Jeong, a lawmaker from the National Innovation Party, pointed out, "The police have stated that they can only act upon official requests for cooperation from the National Election Commission or the Korea Sports Council, but isn't that too passive? Even as concerns about safety incidents grow, the police should focus on preventing accidents rather than only taking action after the fact."

In response, Commissioner Park stated, "The police place the highest value on citizen safety, and at the time, there were sufficient concerns about physical clashes. While it is rare for unreported rallies to continue for such a long period, we are responding strictly to individual illegal acts."

Junseok Lee, a lawmaker from the Reform New Party, also questioned Commissioner Park about the legal nature of the rally and the standards for police response. Assemblyman Lee inquired about the illegality of the protest, saying, "It is unclear how the police can respond when even the organizers of the rally have not been clearly identified."

Commissioner Park replied, "While it appears to be an unreported rally under the Assembly and Demonstration Act, its nature is different from previous rallies, so a thorough review is needed."

Assemblyman Lee also raised the need for government-level leadership to Minister Yoon. Minister Yoon explained, "According to Supreme Court precedents, even if a rally is unreported, forced dispersal is difficult unless there is a present danger or clear illegality. At present, since illegality is not clear, it is difficult to forcibly disperse the rally itself."

On the other hand, Jinwoo Joo, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, stressed the need for caution in the exercise of police authority. Ahead of the committee's on-site investigation at Olympic Park on July 2, Assemblyman Joo said, "If the police forcibly disperse protesters by exercising public authority, as in the case of the Jamsil polling station, it could lead to another controversy. The issue should be resolved through sufficient dialogue with citizens at the site, and the principle of proportionality must be upheld."

Haesik Lee, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, added, "The purpose of the special committee's on-site investigation is to verify whether ballot boxes and ballot papers are being properly stored, not to forcibly relocate them by using physical force. Since both the police's opinion and the cooperation of citizens at the site are important, reasonable solutions must be developed."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.