Eom Seong-gyu, acting commissioner of the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency, has been placed on standby and will be relieved of duty on the 19th. The action stems from allegations that while serving as Gangwon Provincial Police Agency commissioner, he ordered the deletion of a post by an officer calling for resistance against the illegal martial law during the December 3 emergency martial law declaration. Eom has expressed frustration, denying he ever ordered the post's deletion.
In a phone interview with Seoul Economic Daily on the 13th, Eom stated, "I have never been investigated or questioned by the Constitutional Respect TF (Constitutional Respect Government Innovation Task Force), and I have done nothing problematic."
Eom explained the circumstances: "Shortly after the emergency martial law was declared, I received a report that a post saying 'Gangwon police should also deploy to the National Assembly' had been uploaded to the internal network. I was told a police station division chief (superintendent) had posted it, so I instructed the station chief to 'exercise restraint.'" Eom asked rhetorically, "Isn't this something a provincial police commissioner could reasonably do in such a serious situation?"
Eom explained he received the report while preparing to attend a nationwide commanders' meeting convened at midnight by then-Police Commissioner General Cho Ji-ho. He said, "The post contained content about 'deploying,' but at the time it was unclear whether the martial law was due to a North Korean provocation. I believed Gangwon police, being in a border region, needed to hold their positions. Just 28 minutes after the martial law declaration, I only instructed the station chief that 'it would be better to refrain from political speech and actions.' It is absurd to suggest I ordered the deletion of the post in front of multiple staff members." He again denied the allegations.
Regarding allegations that he "was investigated by the Constitutional Respect TF," "disciplinary action was determined based on investigation results," "he strongly reprimanded the employee," and "the Constitutional Respect TF is watching closely," Eom strongly refuted them as "fiction." He stated, "If I had ordered the post deleted and strongly reprimanded the officer, I could have taken personnel action such as reassigning them to a local police substation, but I did not. The officer still holds the same position they had during the martial law period."
Eom added, "I have lived as a police officer whose life and death depend on honor, to the extent of facing demotion. I accept the personnel action, but I feel deeply wronged and bewildered."
Meanwhile, on the 12th of this month, the Prime Minister's Office Constitutional Respect TF requested heavy disciplinary action against 16 police officers of superintendent rank or higher suspected of involvement in the emergency martial law. Most are reportedly from the security divisions of the National Police Agency and Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency who were deployed to the National Assembly. However, Senior Superintendent Hwang Jeong-in, the TF team leader, announced to media that day that "it is not true that Commissioner Eom was placed on the disciplinary list." The National Police Agency's personnel division has declined to comment on the matter.
Originally from Jeju, Commissioner Eom joined the police in 1997 as a 45th class police officer candidate. He has served as Eumseong Police Station chief, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency riot police unit commander, Namdaemun Police Station chief, and Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency security division chief, making him a recognized security specialist within the police force. He was promoted to senior superintendent in 2023 and served as director of the National Police Agency's Security Bureau and commissioner of Gangwon Provincial Police Agency. On September 25 last year, he was appointed acting commissioner of Busan Metropolitan Police Agency from his position as Gangwon commissioner, and assumed the post on September 29.
