Court Rejects All Injunction Requests to Ban Hangul Day Rally (Comprehensive Report 2)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] A conservative group filed for a suspension of execution against the police's order banning their Hangul Day rally, but the court rejected the request.

The Seoul Administrative Court Administrative Division 1 (Presiding Judge Ahn Jong-hwa) on the 8th dismissed the suspension of execution applications filed by the August 15 Emergency Measures Committee (Emergency Committee) against the Acting Mayor of Seoul and the Chief of the Jongno Police Station in Seoul regarding the outdoor rally ban order.

The court explained, "Even if 1,000 participants attend the reported rally as the applicant (Emergency Committee) claims, the participants are expected to gather from all over the country." Since 1,000 people coming from across the nation would inevitably lead to close contact, "the spread of infectious diseases appears obvious."

Furthermore, the court pointed out that the Emergency Committee's quarantine plan is not specific and it is difficult to believe it will be strictly followed without gaps, and that the plan is not appropriate for the scale of the rally. The court judged, "The public welfare aimed at preventing and controlling the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) through the rally ban outweighs the disadvantage the applicant suffers by being unable to exercise their freedom of assembly."

Previously, the Emergency Committee had reported rallies of 1,000 people each at two locations: the sidewalk and three lanes in front of the Kyobo Building in Gwanghwamun, and the sidewalk and roadway of the northern park of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. However, the police prohibited all rallies based on the administrative order from quarantine authorities banning gatherings of more than 10 people.

The Seoul Administrative Court Administrative Division 7 (Chief Presiding Judge Kim Guk-hyun) also dismissed the suspension of execution application filed by the Our Republican Party and the Ten Million Innocent Release Headquarters against the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Chief regarding the Hangul Day rally ban order.

The court stated, "The applicants have not presented any quarantine measures to prevent group infections," and similarly judged that "the public interest outweighs the applicants' damages."

The suspension of execution application filed by the Liberty Democracy Union against the Namdaemun Police Station Chief and others, assigned to Administrative Division 12 (Presiding Judge Hong Soon-wook), was also dismissed.

These groups had reported plans to hold rallies on Hangul Day around Gwanghwamun Square and Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station in Jung-gu, Seoul, but received prohibition notices from the police.

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