Breaking Quarantine Measures Again on Gaecheonjeol... Calls to "Restrict the Right to Assemble"

On the afternoon of the 15th, a rally condemning corruption in the Moon Jae-in administration, abuse of power by Choo Mi-ae, and sexual harassment by Democratic Party local government heads was held in front of Dongwha Duty Free Shop in Jongno-gu, Seoul, hosted by Sarang Jeil Church and the Liberty Solidarity. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The 'Gwanghwamun rally,' which marked a turning point in the second wave of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), is scheduled to be held again on October 3, National Foundation Day, raising concerns among health authorities. Accordingly, voices are emerging that the 'right to assemble' should be restricted during the current emergency situation.

According to health authorities on the 8th, as of the previous day, five additional confirmed cases related to the August 15 Gwanghwamun rally were reported, bringing the cumulative total to 532. The police and health authorities identified infected individuals during the rally based on mobile phone reception data from base stations, but many attendees turned off their phones, making it difficult to accurately determine the number of confirmed cases.

Amid this situation, conservative groups that organized the August 15 rally have declared their intention to hold another large-scale rally with around 40,000 people gathering in downtown Seoul on October 3. The police have issued notices of partial prohibition for all assembly reports submitted by these groups.

However, these groups claim that outdoor rallies have a low risk of infection and are advocating for the 'right to assemble.' Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church, who has led conservative rallies, asserted at the August 15 Gwanghwamun rally that "there have been no cases of COVID-19 infection outdoors." Therefore, they argue that the prohibition of rallies has political motives.

Experts point out that even outdoors, prolonged exposure in crowded situations carries an infection risk not significantly different from indoors. Professor Park Min-seon of Seoul National University’s Department of Family Medicine said, "While the risk of infection may be relatively reduced, it does not disappear. Especially elderly people with weakened immunity must wear masks and pay special attention to their health."

In the political arena, bills are being proposed to ban rallies and demonstrations in places where there is a risk of infectious disease spread. Lee Won-wook, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, proposed an amendment to the 'Assembly and Demonstration Act' that would, in principle, prohibit rallies and demonstrations in areas where traffic restrictions or assembly bans have been imposed under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. Professor Yoo Hong-sik of Chung-Ang University’s Department of Media Communication pointed out, "The freedom of assembly and demonstration is not an absolute right that can be exercised at the expense of other citizens’ survival."

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