Will the Gwanghwamun Barricade Appear on Hangul Day... Controversy Over Basic Rights Infringement

COVID-19 VS Freedom of Assembly... Controversy Over Gwanghwamun Barricades
Conservative Groups "Insist on Hangul Day Rally"... Police "Will Respond Firmly Like on Gaecheonjeol"
Experts "Total Lockdown Violates Basic Rights... Should Help People Follow Rules"

On the morning of October 3rd, National Foundation Day, police buses lined up on the Gwanghwamun road in Seoul to block sudden gatherings and protests. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] As the government erected barricades around Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, known as the scheduled site for the National Foundation Day (Gaecheonjeol) rally, to completely block the assembly for COVID-19 prevention, sparking controversy over human rights violations, some conservative groups have announced plans for a rally in the city center on Hangul Day, October 9, leading to conflicts surrounding this issue.

Experts urged that completely blocking assemblies infringes on the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution and called on the government to immediately withdraw such measures.

◆ Criticism of "COVID Martial Law" and "Democratic Regression" over Gwanghwamun Barricade Blockade

On October 3, National Foundation Day, when conservative groups reported large-scale rallies, the government responded strongly by blocking the Gwanghwamun Square area with barricades and deploying a large number of police officers in major downtown areas.

The police installed 90 checkpoints in downtown Seoul and mobilized about 800 personnel to prevent the possibility of large-scale rallies.

Additionally, the so-called 'drive-through protests,' which the court allowed only for vehicles with nine or fewer passengers, were conducted under strict control.

Given this situation, criticism also emerged from the political sphere. Kim Jong-in, Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, pointed out at the Emergency Committee meeting held at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 5th, "I do not understand what the government fears to the extent of mobilizing massive police forces and buses to fortress the city center," adding, "I think democracy is not developing but regressing."

Joo Ho-young, floor leader, also criticized at the meeting, "Didn’t President Moon Jae-in say during the election process that he would come out to Gwanghwamun and have candid conversations with citizens?" He added, "Is the president not coming out to listen to the people and correct mistakes but instead building an ironclad fortress led by the police?"

At a press briefing at the National Assembly the previous day, Floor Leader Joo also said, "The 'Jaein Fortress,' where police buses were piled up layer upon layer at Gwanghwamun Square, saddened the people," and pointed out, "It was practically a declaration of COVID-19 martial law."

◆ Conservative Groups Report Large-Scale Rally Again on Hangul Day...Infringement on Freedom of Assembly and Association

Meanwhile, conservative groups that had planned large-scale rallies in downtown Seoul on National Foundation Day have reported to the police that they will hold a rally with about 2,000 participants around Gwanghwamun Square on October 9-10.

They stated that to address concerns about the resurgence of COVID-19, they will arrange 1,000 chairs each with a distance of more than 2 meters at the rally site. They also plan to comply with related regulations such as mask-wearing and temperature checks, provide hand sanitizers, and deploy medical staff and order maintenance personnel.

Choi In-sik, Secretary-General of the Emergency Committee for the August 15 Rally Participants, held a press conference in front of Jongno Police Station that afternoon, saying, "The desperate path to resist the oppression of the Moon Jae-in administration is through the freedom of assembly and association, so we have reported the rally again on Hangul Day," adding, "We will comply with quarantine rules and other regulations during the rally."

On the morning of October 3rd, National Foundation Day, police buses lined up around Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul to block sudden gatherings and protests. Photo by Yonhap News

◆ Police: "If Necessary, Barricades Will Also Be Installed on Hangul Day"...Controversy over Excessive Infringement of Fundamental Rights

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and police plan to respond strongly to the Hangul Day rally as well. Park Yumi, Director of the Seoul City Citizen Health Bureau, said on the day, "We plan to respond jointly with the police to completely block the rally."

Kim Chang-ryong, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, also emphasized on the same day, "The measures such as barricade installation on National Foundation Day were unavoidable," and "We will respond strongly to illegal rallies on Hangul Day as well."

Accordingly, the police plan to respond to the Hangul Day rally in the same way as on National Foundation Day, when 9,000 steel fences were deployed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Among citizens, there are criticisms that such measures infringe on fundamental rights. This is because the freedom of assembly and association is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution.

The progressive civic group People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy recently stated in a commentary, "It is true that public anxiety about the spread of COVID-19 is high, but the police’s policy to completely block assemblies is excessive." The group argued, "The police should consider ways to protect the rights to assembly and protest even under the constraints of quarantine."

Experts pointed out that the government is blocking assemblies despite the need to guarantee freedom of assembly as much as possible.

Political commentator Lee Jong-hoon said, "The government currently prioritizes the right to life over fundamental rights due to the COVID-19 situation, but elections were held even when the spread was more severe. Therefore, complete blockade is a clear infringement of fundamental rights," adding, "There are various methods such as temperature checks, seat arrangements, and density control. We need to find ways to prevent infectious diseases while guaranteeing freedom of assembly and association." He continued, "The government should just verify whether quarantine rules are being followed at the rally. If violated, punishment can be imposed according to the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act."

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