Controversy Over 'Police Car Barricades' at Gwanghwamun on National Foundation Day Continues… Police Say "Legal and Unavoidable Measures"

On the morning of the 3rd, National Foundation Day, police buses lined up on the road in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, to block sudden rallies and protests. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] On the 3rd, the police repeatedly emphasized that the 'police barricades' installed to block the Gaecheonjeol rally in downtown Seoul were an 'inevitable and lawful measure' due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

On the 6th, the National Police Agency released an explanatory document stating, "There was no other appropriate and efficient means besides the barricades for the purpose of blocking contact to prevent COVID-19 infection."

Based on the police barricade operation guidelines, the police explained, "Barricades can be installed when the police control line and police personnel alone cannot guarantee the safety of rally participants," adding, "When a large number of participants gather at a rally, there is a risk of infectious disease spread, which complies with the guidelines. If an attempt is made to block the gathering of many people using only police personnel instead of barricades, there is also a concern about police officers becoming infected."

Concerns about a security vacuum were also reflected. After the Liberation Day rally, all 9,536 police officers deployed on site underwent COVID-19 testing, and self-quarantine was maintained until the results were out, causing some security gaps. Among the police officers deployed at the rally, eight were ultimately confirmed positive.

Regarding the criticism that the Constitutional Court ruled the installation of police barricades unconstitutional in 2011, the police explained, "The Constitutional Court did not declare the installation of barricades itself unconstitutional, but ruled that excessive installation of barricades violating the 'principle of proportionality' was unconstitutional," adding, "In 2009, the issue was the continuous installation of barricades for 12 days and the control of passage."

They further explained that for this Gaecheonjeol, considering the rally notification time, barricades were temporarily installed only from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., when a large crowd was likely to gather, selectively blocking only rally participants while ensuring passage for residents, merchants near Gwanghwamun, and general vehicles. A National Police Agency official said, "We apologize for the inconvenience caused to ordinary citizens' passage, but we tried to ensure passage as much as possible for those who were not rally participants."

Regarding claims that the freedom of assembly and demonstration was infringed, the police rebutted, "Since the Seoul Metropolitan Government also banned the rally and the court recognized the legality of the police prohibition notice, the installation of barricades was a measure to block 'illegal rally attempts threatening community safety,'" adding, "The legal interests infringed by the installation of barricades are not the freedom of lawful assembly."

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