Laws Penalizing Gwanghwamun Rally Proposed One After Another

Lee Won-wook and Jeong Cheong-rae's 'Jeon Gwang-hoon Punishment Act'
Up to 5 Years Imprisonment and Facility Eviction Order for Refusing Epidemiological Investigation
Kim Seong-joo Also Can Claim Damages Under the Bill
Oh Young-hwan's 'Virus Terror Punishment Act'

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] As confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) surged following the Gwanghwamun rally held on the 15th, the Democratic Party of Korea has consecutively proposed related punishment laws, including strengthening penalties for those violating quarantine guidelines and establishing emergency arrest regulations.

On the 20th, Representative Lee Won-wook and Representative Jung Cheong-rae each proposed a bill named the "Jeon Kwang-hoon Punishment Act." The Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act (Infectious Disease Prevention Act) proposed by Representative Lee, a candidate for the Supreme Council member in the August 29 party convention, stipulates that those who do not comply with quarantine officers' instructions or epidemiological investigations may face imprisonment of up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million won. It also establishes a legal basis for the emergency arrest of those who violate quarantine authorities' rules. Representative Jung proposed the Disaster and Safety Management Basic Act, which orders the evacuation of facility users for disaster prevention and strengthens penalties for refusal to provide personal information.

Lee Won-wook, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea./Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Kim Sung-joo, the ruling party's secretary of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, submitted a partial amendment bill to the Infectious Disease Prevention Act that increases the penalty level for quarantine guideline violators by 1.5 times compared to current regulations and provides grounds for the state to claim damages for incurred expenses.

In the bill, Representative Kim explained, "If costs are incurred due to the intentional or gross negligence of a third party, the state and local governments can claim damages, and aggravated punishment will be applied to acts violating infectious disease compliance obligations to prevent acts harmful to public health." In a CBS radio interview that morning, he emphasized, "The Sarang Jeil Church and the August 15 Gwanghwamun rally are undermining the national quarantine system. Refusal to undergo testing for political or religious reasons is unacceptable. There is no extraterritoriality."

Representative Oh Young-hwan of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee also announced plans to enact the "Virus Terror Punishment Act," an amendment to the Infectious Disease Prevention Act that imposes up to five years imprisonment for violating assembly bans or quarantine orders. On the 20th, Representative Oh and other ruling party members of the Public Administration and Security Committee held a press conference urging strict punishment for Pastor Jeon.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

As the Democratic Party accelerates legislation to punish those involved in the Gwanghwamun rally, the campaign team of Representative Park Joo-min, a candidate for party leader, announced it would file a complaint against former Future United Party lawmaker Min Kyung-wook for violating the Infectious Disease Prevention Act that afternoon. Park's spokesperson, lawyer Hyun Geun-taek, stated, "Despite the national crisis caused by COVID-19, we are filing this complaint to hold former Representative Min accountable for leading an illegal assembly."

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