Jeong Sye-gyun: "Court's Approval of 'Gwanghwamun Rally' Is a Mistake"

"All Quarantine Measures Collapsed Due to Improper Assembly Permits"
Court Blocks Seoul City's Administrative Order Banning Downtown Assemblies on August 15th

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun is responding to questions from lawmakers at the full meeting of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts held at the National Assembly on the 25th. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun strongly criticized the court's approval of the Seoul Gwanghwamun rally on the 15th, calling it a "wrong decision."

On the 25th, at the plenary session of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Prime Minister Chung responded to a question from Yoon Young-chan, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, asking, "What do you think about the court's approval of the rally?" He said, "Anyone with common sense would be able to judge that if such a rally is approved, it would proceed differently from the originally reported content. I deeply regret that this was overlooked."

He continued, "It is not only threatening the health of the people but also causing enormous waste of national tax funds," pointing out, "About 20,000 people have undergone diagnostic tests, and that number is increasing. Economically, this has resulted in astronomical costs."

He added, "The Seoul Metropolitan Government banned all rallies, and the National Police Agency prepared thoroughly to ensure compliance with Seoul's decisions and orders," criticizing, "Because of the wrongful approval of the rally, all of that was undermined, and it is very regrettable that a situation we do not want to imagine has occurred."

According to multiple media outlets, the Administrative 11th Division of the Seoul Administrative Court (Chief Judge Park Hyung-soon) partially accepted the injunction request filed by the 'April 15th National Struggle Headquarters Against Election Fraud' against Seoul City's outdoor rally ban on the 14th.

At that time, the court stated, "The disposition in question, which fundamentally prohibits the holding of the rally rather than allowing it in a limited manner by specifically instructing the place, method, number of participants, and mandatory quarantine rules to be observed, is unlikely to be seen as restricting the freedom of assembly within the minimum necessary scope to dispel concerns about (COVID-19) infection, and there is a considerable possibility that it is illegal."

However, the court added, "Considering the current spread of COVID-19 in the metropolitan area, the floating population at the rally location, and the expected number of participants, it is objectively anticipated that there is a risk of infectious disease spread at the rally," and "It cannot be denied that physically distancing people to prevent close gathering under the name of the rally is a scientifically reasonable means to dispel concerns about the spread of infectious diseases."

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