South Korea’s Interior Minister compares police protests to coup moves

July 25 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The South Korean Interior Minister, Lee Sang Min, criticized on Monday the police officers who have demonstrated against the creation of an office to supervise police action with coup movements.

Lee’s words come several days after 50 South Korean police superintendents staged a rally to protest the establishment of such an office, saying it compromised neutrality and criminal responsibility.

The protest went ahead on Saturday despite the fact that it did not have the approval of the Government, according to information from the Yonhap news agency. “It was extremely inappropriate for them to hold a meeting outside the areas where they are supposed to be,” the minister said.

“If this happened in the Army it would be similar to the coup d’état of December 12, 1979,” he said before insisting that “there is a specific group of people who are leading the superintendents.”

In this sense, he has assured that the National Police Agency will “investigate” those who have been involved in these protests. For Lee, this new office is “necessary” because it will allow the Prosecutor’s Office to carry out investigations and will prevent greater opacity within the Corps.

Likewise, he has rejected that it is unfair that the Government has allowed prosecutors to protest when they have deemed it convenient, an issue that would not now be fulfilled in the case of the police.

“Although a long time has passed and another coup d’état is unthinkable, it is still a serious issue, that an organization imposes itself to meet arbitrarily and oppose a government decision,” he said.