[2025 Audit] Yoo Jung-bok Denies Allegations of Supporting Martial Law: "City Hall Was Never Closed"

At the Incheon City National Audit conducted by the National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee on the 20th, debates broke out over suspicions that Incheon City had supported martial law during the 12·3 Martial Law, as well as allegations of illegal electioneering by Mayor Yoo Jung-bok and Incheon City officials during the People Power Party's presidential primary.

Ko Dongjin, a member of the People Power Party, criticized, "On the day martial law was declared, civil servants and journalists with access cards entered Incheon City Hall as usual, and there was no closure of the building. The following morning, the city issued a statement expressing regret over the declaration of martial law. Despite this, the Democratic Party's claim that Incheon City supported the rebellion is nothing more than an indiscriminate political attack."

He added, "It is politically unacceptable to use allegations of supporting rebellion to attack People Power Party local government heads and exploit the issue for next year's local elections."

Park Sumin, another member of the People Power Party, argued, "Former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who declared martial law, is currently under arrest and facing judgment, and even though it has been four months since President Lee Jaemyung took office, the Democratic Party's political offensives have left the public feeling fatigued and have undermined people's livelihoods."

Previously, on August 31, Jeon Hyunhee, head of the Democratic Party's Special Prosecution Comprehensive Response Committee, held a press conference and claimed, "Heads of local governments affiliated with the People Power Party closed their offices and held emergency executive meetings on the day martial law was declared. The special prosecutor must launch an investigation into acts of supporting rebellion."

In response, Mayor Yoo, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, and Gangwon Province Governor Kim Jin-tae issued a joint statement rebutting the allegations, stating, "These are clearly false claims, and it is evident that the Democratic Party intends to use the special prosecutor as a tool to politically damage the heads of Seoul, Incheon, and Gangwon Province in order to win back these regions in next year's local elections."

Mayor Yoo explained in his audit response, "There was no closure of city hall during the 12·3 Martial Law, and convening an emergency meeting of key city executives after the declaration was a perfectly natural action for a mayor responsible for the region, to ensure that local safety and citizens' livelihoods would not be disrupted."

Yoo Jung-bok, mayor of Incheon, is responding to questions from committee members at the "2025 National Assembly Administration and Security Committee National Audit" held on the 20th in the large conference room of the city hall. Incheon City

On the same day, suspicions of illegal electioneering by Mayor Yoo and Incheon City officials during the People Power Party's presidential primary were also raised at the audit.

Sixteen former and current Incheon City officials are under police investigation on suspicion of supporting Mayor Yoo, who was a candidate in the People Power Party primary, or assisting with event organization while maintaining their civil servant status in April. Mayor Yoo himself has also been booked by the police on charges including violations of the Public Official Election Act.

Kim Seonghoe, a member of the Democratic Party, pointed out, "It was revealed that ten city officials accompanied Mayor Yoo during the presidential primary, raising suspicions of illegal electioneering. The police search and seizure of Incheon City Hall was highly unusual, and the fact that a warrant was issued suggests there was a valid reason. As someone currently under investigation, shouldn't the mayor apologize to the citizens?"

Han Byungdo, another member of the Democratic Party, criticized, "The police search and seizure of Incheon City Hall over illegal electioneering suspicions, and the fact that officials participated in the mayor's campaign while their resignations had not yet been processed, is a clear example of how far political neutrality in the civil service has collapsed."

Chung Chun-saeng, a member of the Korea Innovation Party, also accused Mayor Yoo of lying about a recent Facebook post in which he claimed, "There is a clear Supreme Court precedent that intra-party primaries do not constitute a violation of the Public Official Election Act." Chung pointed out, "No such precedent exists, and in August 2011, the Constitutional Court ruled that applying the Public Official Election Act to intra-party primaries is constitutional."

In response to questions from ruling bloc lawmakers regarding 'violations of the election law,' Mayor Yoo stated, "As the investigation is ongoing, I ask for your understanding that I cannot comment on this matter at this time."

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