Jeonbuk Province Inspects Major Gathering Sites Ahead of Gaecheonjeol Metropolitan Area Rally Attendance

Joint Inspection of 28 Locations in the Province by Provincial, City/County, and Jeollabuk-do Charter Bus Transport Association

[Jeonju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Tae-in] Jeonbuk Province conducted on-site inspections of major gathering places in the province, including assembly points, on the 3rd in relation to illegal rallies held in the Seoul metropolitan area on National Foundation Day.

Earlier, Jeonbuk Province had issued an administrative order banning attendance at illegal rallies in the Seoul metropolitan area from September 26 to October 11.

As a follow-up to the administrative order, Jeonbuk Province operated a situation room related to illegal rallies on National Foundation Day during the Chuseok holiday (9.30.~10.3.) and ran a reporting center for suspected participants. On National Foundation Day, from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., 47 officials from the province and city/counties patrolled 28 major expected gathering sites in the province, checked license plates of chartered buses suspected to be on standby, and verified and inspected them in real time with the Chartered Bus Transport Association.

As a result of checking a total of 18 buses departing from major expected gathering sites from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. that day, they were confirmed to be regular commuting buses of local manufacturing companies and buses for major tourist destinations such as Geoje or fishing clubs. No chartered buses hired for participation in illegal rallies in the Seoul metropolitan area were found.

Additionally, Jeonbuk Province plans to identify and take action against vehicles that operated in Seoul and other metropolitan areas without reporting through a full survey of digital tachograph (GPS) data of 2,109 chartered buses in the province, and will continue intensive inspections during the upcoming Hangul Day holiday (10.9.).

Jeonbuk Province plans to take strong measures such as filing charges against illegal rally participants who use public transportation or private vehicles in cooperation with Seoul City, imposing fines of up to 3 million KRW according to relevant laws, requiring full payment of treatment costs if the individual is confirmed positive, and claiming compensation for all costs incurred in quarantine if local infection spreads.

Governor Song Ha-jin urged, “As the spread of COVID-19 continues in the Seoul metropolitan area, the risk of infection is extremely high if you attend illegal rallies where many people inevitably come into contact. Please refrain from attending.”

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