Seoul District Mayors Association Appeals to Withdraw Large-Scale 8.15 Seoul Rally

Seoul District Mayors Association Issues Appeal to Cancel August 15 Large-Scale Seoul Rally... Seoul City Orders Ban on August 15 Gatherings to Prevent Spread of Novel Coronavirus... Appeal to Cancel Large-Scale Rally to Protect Public Health and Safety Amid COVID-19

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] The Seoul Metropolitan Council of District Mayors (Chairman: Dobong District Mayor Lee Dong-jin) issued an appeal on the morning of the 13th at 11 a.m. in the Seoul City Hall briefing room, urging the cancellation of the large-scale rally scheduled for August 15 in Seoul.

This announcement was made in connection with Seoul City's administrative order to ban assemblies under Article 49 of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act against all 17 organizations that had announced plans to hold rallies with approximately 110,000 participants in Seoul on the 15th but had not officially canceled their events.

The key points of the announcement emphasized that while the freedom of assembly and demonstration is a fundamental right of citizens and an important value as a measure of democracy, it cannot take precedence over the life and safety of citizens under the current circumstances.

Furthermore, it stated that the reason South Korea was recognized as an exemplary country in epidemic prevention despite the global COVID-19 pandemic was due to the efforts of citizens?from children to the elderly?who endured the heat by wearing masks and practicing social distancing, restraining meetings with loved ones, and diligently following prevention guidelines, as well as the dedication of healthcare workers who protected medical sites even under extreme conditions. The K-quarantine system is a valuable result born from the spirit of solidarity and cooperation among nameless citizens to protect their own and their neighbors’ lives and safety.

Nevertheless, if the large-scale rally in Seoul proceeds as planned, there is a possibility that the hard-earned achievements built through nationwide solidarity and cooperation to overcome COVID-19 could collapse overnight. Therefore, the council strongly urged the immediate cancellation of the large-scale rally that could adversely affect the life and safety of citizens.

Additionally, the Seoul Metropolitan Council of District Mayors expressed gratitude to the citizens who have cooperated with Seoul City to make K-quarantine a global model in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and reiterated their commitment to do their utmost to overcome this crisis hand in hand with Seoul City and its citizens.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.