Police Barricades Reappear on Hangul Day... Operational Intensity Eased

Operation of 57 Checkpoints Installed Along Sejong-daero Road
Shuttle Bus Service to Minimize Citizen Inconvenience

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] On the 9th, Hangul Day, the police reinstalled barricades around Gwanghwamun in Seoul to prevent illegal assemblies. However, the level of enforcement was significantly relaxed compared to National Foundation Day.

The police completed the installation of barricades around Gwanghwamun in Seoul at around 7 a.m. that day. Unlike National Foundation Day, when all roads were surrounded, barricades were installed only on both sides of Sejong-daero, and Gwanghwamun Square was not completely blocked off.

Compared to National Foundation Day, when 537 police buses were mobilized to surround all roads from Gwanghwamun Square to Seoul City Hall with barricades, the enforcement level has been eased.

The number of checkpoints installed at entrances to downtown Seoul also decreased to 57, compared to 90 on National Foundation Day. The police are currently inspecting vehicles entering downtown to identify their destinations and preemptively prevent illegal assemblies.

Since the complete control of the Gwanghwamun Square area on National Foundation Day caused significant inconvenience to citizens, four shuttle buses are being operated to minimize this. Additionally, about 90 police officers have been deployed to guide traffic.

Press conferences are expected to take place in various parts of downtown Seoul. The August 15 Emergency Measures Committee, which reported a 2,000-person rally around Gwanghwamun that was subsequently banned, plans to hold a press conference to criticize the government's quarantine policies.

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