Seoul City Thoroughly 'On-Site Evidence Collection' for Illegal Gatherings on Hangul Day... Participants Also Face Prosecution (Update)

On the first day of the Chuseok holiday, September 30th last month, a notice board prohibiting gatherings in the city center to prevent the spread of COVID-19 was installed at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] On Hangul Day, the 9th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government issued a 'ban on assemblies' order to groups that reported assemblies in downtown Seoul. For groups that forcibly hold illegal assemblies, both organizers and participants will be reported through thorough on-site evidence collection, and if confirmed cases occur, claims for damages will also be pursued.

Park Yumi, Seoul's Quarantine Control Officer (Director of the Citizen Health Bureau), stated during the online 'COVID-19 Regular Briefing' on the 8th, "We have completed the ban on groups that reported assemblies for Hangul Day," adding, "We are currently working jointly with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to completely block assemblies on Hangul Day."

Park emphasized, "If assemblies are held, we will report illegal assembly organizers and participants through thorough on-site evidence collection," and "If confirmed cases occur, we also plan to pursue claims for damages."

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to enforce illegal parking and stopping regulations at assembly sites. Additionally, if crowds gather, they are considering non-stop train passage and entrance closures at four subway stations near Gwanghwamun, including City Hall Station (Lines 1 and 2), Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3), and Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5).

Park added, "While the freedom of assembly is important, this is an unavoidable measure to protect citizens' lives and safety and to block COVID-19, so we ask citizens to participate in quarantine efforts," and also urged, "Groups that reported assemblies should make the decision to cancel."

The Seoul Metropolitan Government views the situation as still high risk for COVID-19 transmission, noting that 30 new confirmed cases occurred in the Seoul area the previous day and that the effects of movement and gatherings during the recent Chuseok holiday remain.

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