Debate Over 'Drive-Thru Rally for 9 or Fewer on Gaecheonjeol'... Conservative Groups Say "Then, Solo Car Protest"

'Conditionally Allowed for Vehicles with 9 or Fewer Seats'... Citizens Debate Risks
Conservative Groups Shift from Small-Scale Drive-Thru to 'Single-Person Vehicle Protests'

'Drive-through' Rally
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hana Na] Following the court's ruling to 'conditionally allow the National Foundation Day drive-thru rally,' debates continue regarding the related issues a day before the National Foundation Day rally. There are concerns such as "Will they really follow that?" and "Only 9 cars? We'll see," as well as opinions like "There will be sanctions, so they won't be able to ignore the guidelines," and "It's the best possible measure given the COVID-19 situation."

On the 30th, the court partially accepted the claims of the 'People's Movement for a New Korea' (SaeHanguk) and decided to suspend the enforcement of the police's ban on outdoor rallies. However, the court imposed nine strict conditions, including allowing 'no more than 9 vehicles' during the rally.

Some public opinion doubts whether the rally groups will actually follow the court's guidelines, with criticisms such as "Let's see if only 9 cars gather," "Anyway, the elders will come out and no one can stop them," and "They definitely won't follow those rules during the rally."

The police also argued that this drive-thru rally should be banned due to concerns it could lead to a large-scale illegal gathering.

On the other hand, the judiciary rebutted, stating, "It is difficult to conclude that the drive-thru rally will lead to a large-scale illegal rally, and banning the rally itself would fundamentally block the constitutional freedom of assembly and demonstration, which is unacceptable."

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun commented on the drive-thru rally, saying, "If they follow what the court has set, the risk of COVID-19 transmission seems low," and added, "Although there are concerns, since there will be sanctions if more than 9 vehicles participate, I believe they will ultimately comply."

Meanwhile, the police issued bans on most of the drive-thru rallies reported by conservative groups across downtown Seoul on the 3rd, National Foundation Day. In response, the conservative groups announced that, excluding Gangdong-gu on the 3rd, they plan to hold 'one-person vehicle protests' at five locations in the city.

The court set the following conditions for the drive-thru rally: △ Only one participant per vehicle △ No face-to-face meetings or contact before and after the rally △ Windows must remain closed and no chanting of slogans during the rally under any circumstances. △ The rally must proceed only along the reported route △ Participants must not leave their vehicles except for urgent matters such as restroom use. △ If a third vehicle attempts to join the procession during the rally, the procession must stop marching until police measures are completed. △ The rally must disperse immediately at the location once 4 p.m. passes without further marching. △ Participants must comply with quarantine authorities and police measures, and if they do not, the police may issue an immediate dispersal order.

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