Confirmation of police chief nominee delayed due to squatter deaths

(ATTN: UPDATES with additional remarks, more details and background)
By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, Jan. 23 (Yonhap) -- The presidential office decided Friday to withhold its
request for parliament's confirmation hearing of the new national police
chief-designate as pressure mounts for the nominee to withdraw after the deaths
of several squatters in a clash with police.

The decision, however, does not mean the presidential office has decided to abort
its nomination of Kim Seok-ki, a spokesman for the presidential office Cheong Wa
Dae told reporters.
"The delay is not because the government decided not to send its confirmation
request to the National Assembly, but because he did not have time to prepare all
his documents amid the chaos," the spokesman, Lee Dong-kwan, said.
"Even if we are unable to submit our request today, it will have nothing to do
with his status," he said, adding the final decision on the nomination will only
come after the conclusion of the ongoing investigation.
Five protesters and a police officer were killed in a fire that erupted as
special police forces raided a building rooftop to disband squatters staging a
sit-in to demand more compensation over a land redevelopment project.
Kim, the incumbent head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, was tapped this
week to head the National Police Agency in a high-level shakeup that also
included nominations for unification and finance ministers, as well as the head
of the National Intelligence Service.
Confirmation requests for all three other nominees will be submitted Friday,
according to the Cheong Wa Dae spokesman.
Kim has come under immense public pressure to quit his nomination and even resign
from his current post as he gave authorization mobilizing special police forces
to break up the sit-in just just over 24 hours after it began.
Angry protest rallies followed the deaths of the squatters while opposition
legislators charge the tragedy is a result of excessive and premature use of
force.
"There must be a thorough investigation as to why this has happened and efforts
to bring those responsible to justice," the head of the main opposition
Democratic Party, Rep. Chung Sye-kyun, said, urging the government to immediately
withdraw its nomination of Kim and sack public administration minister Won
Sei-hoon.
The presidential office agrees on a detailed investigation and accountability but
indicated a full probe must precede any punitive actions.
"If I may note, Seoul is a city where 10 million people live. It has a transient
population of 27 million. So please do try to understand the police felt an
urgent need to bring under control the demonstration that was being held at the
heart of the city," the Cheong Wa Dae spokesman said.
"It is sad and heartbreaking that lives were lost, but do understand there is
that side."
On other calls to sack the public administration minister, who was tapped in the
recent reshuffle to head the National Intelligence Service, the spokesman said
they were irrelevant because the police are no longer under the leadership of the
ministry.
Request for Won's parliamentary confirmation hearing was to be submitted later in
the day along with those for other nominees, Lee said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)