Ryu Sam-yeong, who led the National Police Chiefs Meeting, placed on standby... Investigation of attendees begins (Comprehensive)

On the afternoon of the 23rd, after the National Police Chiefs Meeting held at the Chungnam Asan Police Human Resources Development Institute, Ryu Sam-yeong, Chief Superintendent of Ulsan Jungbu Police Station, announced the results of the meeting.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Jo] Ryu Sam-yeong, Chief Superintendent of Ulsan Jungbu Police Station, who led the nationwide police chiefs' meeting opposing the establishment of the Police Bureau under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, has been placed on standby duty.

Yoon Hee-geun, Acting Commissioner of the National Police Agency (NPA) nominee, ordered Chief Ryu to standby duty at the Public Safety Department, Police Planning, Information, and Equipment Division of the Ulsan Police Agency, and appointed Hwang Deok-gu, the officer in charge of Inspection, Audit, and Human Rights at the Ulsan Police Agency, as the new Chief of Ulsan Jungbu Police Station on the 24th. Chief Ryu was the person who first proposed the nationwide police chiefs' meeting held that afternoon at the Police Human Resources Development Institute in Asan, Chungnam.

The rank of Chief Superintendent, usually held by police station chiefs, numbers about 650 officers and plays a key role in commanding approximately 130,000 frontline police officers, earning the nickname "the flower of the police." In the police organization, where the command structure is strict, 56 officers attended the meeting in person, and 140 participated via video conference. This accounted for nearly one-third of all Chief Superintendents nationwide.

The National Police Agency is also known to have launched an investigation into the officers who attended the meeting besides Chief Ryu. This is to hold them accountable for proceeding with the meeting despite orders from the police leadership to disband. According to Article 57 of the current National Public Service Act, public officials must obey the orders of their superiors while performing their duties. Furthermore, Article 66 of the same law prohibits public officials from engaging in collective actions for labor movements or other non-official matters.

The NPA effectively warned disciplinary action against the Chief Superintendent-level officers attending the meeting in the afternoon while it was ongoing. The NPA stated, "Considering public concerns, we urged restraint and ordered disbandment, but the meeting was forcibly held, which we regard as a serious situation," and added, "After reviewing violations of service regulations, strict measures will be taken against the attendees."

Earlier, on the 21st, nominee Yoon also sent an email to Chief Superintendent-level officers discouraging the meeting, saying, "Please carefully consider the position and duties you hold in the eyes of the public and exercise prudent judgment and execution." The day before, Kim Kwang-ho, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, sent a text message to Chief Superintendent-level officers in Seoul, urging them to "coldly judge and reflect on what path and direction will gain public trust and support from the public’s perspective."

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