The acting head of South Korea's National Police Agency apologized to the nation on December 1 for police actions restricting access to the National Assembly during President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law declaration last year. The apology came during an online meeting of senior police leaders ahead of the first anniversary on December 3. He acknowledged the actions as unconstitutional and illegal, disrupting democracy and threatening public life.
On December 1, 2025, Acting Commissioner General Yoo Jae-seong of the National Police Agency (NPA) issued an apology during an online gathering of senior police leaders nationwide. The statement addressed the police operations that restricted lawmakers' entry to the National Assembly on the night of December 3, 2024, when President Yoon Suk Yeol briefly imposed martial law. "Police restricted lawmakers' entry around the National Assembly on the night of Dec. 3," Yoo said, referring to efforts to seal access as lawmakers convened to vote down the decree.
"This act disrupted democracy and the constitutional order and was an unconstitutional and illegal act that threatened the daily lives of the people," he added. "(I) sincerely apologize."
Looking ahead, Yoo pledged that the police would prioritize the people and uphold the constitutional order in their duties. Currently, NPA head Cho Ji-ho and former Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency chief Kim Bong-sik, who led the operations, are on trial for their roles in the alleged insurrection.
The apology comes as South Korea approaches the first anniversary of the failed martial law bid, which led to Yoon's impeachment in April 2025 and ongoing political repercussions.