Civic Groups Launch 'National Action for the Dismissal of Kim Soonho and Fact-Finding on the Nokhwa Operation'

[Asia Economy, reporter Gong Byungseon] A coalition of civic groups has been formed to demand the dismissal of Kim Soonho, the inaugural head of the National Police Bureau, and to call for a thorough investigation into the allegations against him.

On September 7, 2022, a total of 227 civic and labor organizations, including National People's Action, the National Association of Bereaved Families for Democracy, and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), held a 'National Action for the Dismissal of Kim Soonho and Fact-Finding on the Nokhwa Operation Inaugural Representatives' Meeting and Press Conference' at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. They announced the formation of the 'National Action for the Dismissal of Kim Soonho and Fact-Finding on the Nokhwa Operation' (National Action), through which they plan to demand Kim's resignation and a full investigation into the matter.

National Action stated, "We call for a thorough investigation into the undercover operations that undermine the rule of law, the Constitution, and democracy, and for the immediate dismissal of Kim Soonho." They added, "While it typically takes 15 years for a police officer recruited at entry level to be promoted to the rank of inspector, Kim was promoted at an exceptionally rapid pace, achieving this in just four years and eight months. It must be clarified whether this was a reward for informing."

Victims who were members of the Incheon-Bucheon Workers' Association (Innohoe) also called for a full investigation. Lee Sungwoo, a former Innohoe member, said, "The Innohoe incident, in which 18 people were detained and 15 were arrested, was a signal flare for the era of public security crackdowns. It is unthinkable and unforgivable that Kim Soonho rose to a high-ranking position."

Kim Soonho was classified as a target for the Nokhwa Operation (an ideological conversion campaign) after participating in the student movement in 1983 and was conscripted into the military. He is suspected of having acted as an informant for the regime at the time and of being recruited as a police counterintelligence agent as a reward for informing on his fellow Innohoe labor activists in 1989. Kim has denied these allegations, claiming that he himself was a victim of the Nokhwa Operation, and is reported to have filed a petition for truth-finding with the Second Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

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