Seoul Police Chief Warns Jamsil Protesters: 'Aiding Illegal Acts Will Lead to Ruin'

Park Jeong-bo, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, has signaled a stern response to the illegal activities occurring at the "Jamsil vote counting station protest," where participants have been caught searching the personal belongings of ordinary citizens without authorization.

During a regular press briefing on June 15, Commissioner Park addressed the incident in which Jamsil protesters searched the belongings of the women's national youth handball team. He stated, "Because they demonstrated collective force, we have applied charges of special coercion rather than general coercion," noting that this carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

He further warned, "The sentencing is extremely heavy. If you thoughtlessly join in on illegal activities and are charged as an accomplice, you could face total ruin."

The Seoul police chief’s unusually strong language and mention of potential criminal punishment appear to stem from the judgment that the illegal acts by some Jamsil protesters have crossed the line.

President Lee Jae-myung also remarked during a senior aides meeting held while on a trip to Europe the previous day, "Should we not be responding strictly to acts of private inspection and obstruction of business using force?"

The Seoul Songpa Police Station has currently identified three individuals who were actively involved in searching the youth team's belongings and has issued a summons for one of them.

There are currently 15 ongoing investigations, including the search of personal belongings, assaults against journalists, acts of insult toward police officers on the scene, and physical altercations among the participants themselves.

Commissioner Park stated, "Assaulting journalists is unacceptable. We are currently applying charges of confinement," adding that they have identified and are tracking three individuals actively involved in that incident as well.

He further added, "The Korean police are the best at identifying and arresting individuals. If we set our minds to it, we can do it anytime," and asserted, "Those who participated in the insults will also be apprehended soon."

Regarding the situation where sports organizations under the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee have been unable to access their offices for 10 days due to the blockade of the handball stadium, which serves as a vote counting station, he signaled that charges of obstruction of business would be applied to the protesters.

Commissioner Park stated, "This is a clear illegal act, and we are collecting evidence," adding that he would consider the police's future actions after observing the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee's press conference scheduled for this afternoon.

He also emphasized that while the police had previously managed the situation by withdrawing to avoid clashes between protesters and officers, "What is clear is that if illegal acts of obstruction of business are confirmed, we will deal with them strictly. We will pursue legal action after the fact."

However, Commissioner Park noted, "Fundamentally, we view this as a public forum where citizens who believe their right to vote has been infringed have gathered voluntarily to express their opinions," adding, "We are actively guaranteeing peaceful expression of opinion as it is a right of the people protected by the Constitution."

Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced that it has received a total of 306 reports via 112 related to ballot shortages and disturbances from the day of the June 3 local elections to the present.

A total of 145 reports were received between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on the day of the election, with 15 of those related to ballot shortages; the first report was made at 4:10 p.m.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.