Police Prepared '333 Live Bullets and 11 Blank Cartridges' During Emergency Martial Law Election Commission Deployment

Police External Security and Martial Law Troops Enter Interior
211 Deployed to Gwacheon Government Complex and Election Training Institute
Former Minister Kim Yong-hyun: "To Judge Election Fraud"

It has been confirmed that the police who were dispatched to the National Election Commission and the Election Training Institute during the 'December 3 Emergency Martial Law Incident' prepared a total of 333 live rounds and 11 blank rounds.

Military troops are entering the Central Election Commission building in Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, taking photos of the server. Photo by Asia Economy DB

According to Yoon Geon-young, the opposition party secretary of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee on the 11th, the initial response team police officers from Gwacheon Police Station assigned to the Gwacheon National Election Commission building in Gyeonggi Province carried five K-1 rifles with 300 live rounds, while the local police had one pistol with three live rounds and one blank round. The local police from Suwon West Police Station, who headed to the Election Training Institute in Suwon, Gyeonggi, were equipped with 10 pistols, 30 live rounds, and 10 blank rounds.

At the time of the martial law declaration, the police were responsible for external security, and the martial law troops entered the interior. The total police force deployed at the two locations was 211 personnel. At the National Election Commission, 105 officers were deployed, including the chief of Gwacheon Police Station, the head of the Security and Traffic Division, five members of the initial response team from Gwacheon Police Station, four local police officers from Gwacheon Police Station, two detectives from Gwacheon Police Station, 19 personnel from the 4th Riot Police Unit 2nd Platoon, and 73 personnel from the 7th Riot Police Unit. At the Election Training Institute, 106 personnel were assigned, including the chief and staff of Suwon West Police Station, six members of the initial response team from Suwon West Police Station, three detectives from Suwon West Police Station, 20 local police officers from Suwon West Police Station, and 63 personnel from the 2nd Riot Police Unit.

Yoon Geon-young, Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Yonhap News

Police Commissioner Cho Ji-ho stated that after the martial law was declared, he received a phone call from General Yeo In-hyung, Commander of the Republic of Korea Army Counterintelligence Command, saying "We plan to go to the Election Commission side," and subsequently deployed police to the Election Commission. Commissioner Cho conveyed to Kim Jun-young, Chief of the Southern Gyeonggi Police Agency, at 10:41 p.m. on the 3rd that "It would be appropriate to prepare for any unforeseen incidents." Chief Kim instructed the head of the Security Division at the Southern Gyeonggi Police Agency to implement safety measures and prepare for contingencies at the Gwacheon National Election Commission building and the Suwon Election Training Institute. At that time, the chief of Gwacheon Police Station, after consulting with the initial response team leader, ordered the deployment of equipment including K-1 rifles and ammunition containers, treating the situation as a counterterrorism scenario.

The Special Investigation Unit of the National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters summoned Election Commission officials as witnesses for questioning and received CCTV footage from the Election Commission for analysis. The Special Investigation Unit is investigating the circumstances under which martial law troops were deployed to the Election Commission following the declaration of martial law on the 3rd. Previously, former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun stated that the reason for deploying martial law troops to the Election Commission was to assess the necessity of investigations related to allegations of election fraud.

Kim Yong-bin, Secretary General of the National Election Commission, criticized the entry of martial law troops into the Election Commission during an emergency inquiry at the Public Administration and Security Committee on the 5th, saying, "There is significant doubt constitutionally whether this aligns with the Martial Law Act. I do not know the exact reason why martial law troops entered the Election Commission," and added, "I believe the Election Commission is not subject to the Martial Law Act. Even if martial law is declared, I do not think there is a need to transfer duties." Regarding whether any items were removed from the Election Commission during martial law, Secretary General Kim stated, "None," and explained that computer and log records were also checked.

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