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 Truth-finding of the Ballot Paper Shortage Incident and Reform of the National Election Commission, ruling and opposition parties clashed over the role of the police regarding the protests at Olympic Park.

The special committee held its second agency report session at the National Assembly on July 1. On this day, the committee questioned Minister of the Interior and Safety, Hojoong Yoon, and Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner, Park Jeongbo, among others. During the afternoon session, differences emerged among committee members regarding the police response to the occupation of the Olympic Park ballot counting center.

The Future of Korea Innovation Party urged the police to respond more proactively for the safety of citizens, while the Democratic Party of Korea emphasized the need to come up with a reasonable solution based on cooperation between the police and citizens. The People Power Party warned against the use of excessive force by the authorities, expressing concerns about the abuse of public power and calling for restraint in the use of physical force for dispersal.

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

Assemblyman Jeong Chun-saeng of the Future of Korea Innovation Party stated, "The police say that they can only take action if there is an official request for cooperation from the National Election Commission or the Korea Sports Association, but isn't that too passive?" He criticized, "Despite rising concerns about safety incidents, the police should focus on preventing accidents, not merely taking action after the fact."

In response, Commissioner Park said, "The police prioritize the safety of citizens above all else, and at the time there was a significant risk of physical clashes." He added, "Although cases of unreported assemblies continuing for an extended period are rare, the police are responding strictly to individual illegal acts."

Assemblyman Lee Junseok of the Reform New Party also questioned Commissioner Park about the legal nature of the protest and the police's standards for response. Lee pointed out, "It is unclear under what criteria the police should respond when even the organizers of the protest are not specified," and inquired about the legality of the protest.

Commissioner Park replied, "While it appears to be an unreported assembly under the Assembly and Demonstration Act, its nature differs from previous protests, so further review is necessary."

Assemblyman Lee also raised the need for government-level direction to Minister Yoon. Minister Yoon stated, "According to Supreme Court precedents, even if an assembly is unreported, forced dispersal is difficult unless there is an imminent danger or clear illegality." He explained, "Currently, the illegality is not clear, so it is difficult to forcibly disperse the assembly itself."

On the other hand, Assemblyman Joo Jinwoo of the People Power Party expressed the view that the exercise of police authority should be approached with caution. Ahead of the committee's on-site investigation at Olympic Park on July 2, Assemblyman Joo said, "As seen in the case of the Jamsil polling station, forcibly dispersing protesters using police power could cause further controversy." He emphasized, "Solutions should be found through sufficient dialogue with citizens on-site, and the principle of prohibition of excessive measures must be observed."

Assemblyman Lee Haesik of the Democratic Party of Korea further stated, "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 transfer them using physical force." He added, "While the police's opinion is important, cooperation from citizens at the scene is also necessary, so a reasonable solution must be devised."

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