Speakers there referred to the fact that some days ago the chief of Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency made an apology, claiming that the police did not know that Peace Church was a church and it was something regretful, when their search for the church touched off a strong protest.

The speakers declared it was obviously suppression of religion and retaliation against the peace movement including the action against the "lighting ceremony" on Aegibong Light Tower.

A press release was read out there.

It termed the expression of regret by the chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency hypocrisy.

What happened was not a simple mistake but an inevitable product of the authorities' campaign for eliminating "followers of the north" for which the chief executive is to blame, it said.

It urged Park Geun Hye to make an open apology and stop all suppression.

Stressing the need for the authorities to reprove those who allowed and gave order for the search and for the minister of Justice to make an open apology and promise for preventing recurrence, the press release said the measure committee would stubbornly carry on the sit-in until all demands are met.