Safe Passage of Gaecheonjeol and Hangeul Day... Opening the Forum for 'Post-Corona' Discussions

Conflict Between Quarantine Measures and Freedom of Assembly
Police Barricade Eased on Hangul Day
May 'Itaewon Mass Infection' Trigger
Change in Movement Disclosure Guidelines
Starting Point for Discussion on Balancing Quarantine and Human Rights

On the 9th, Hangul Day, the police are controlling the area around Gwanghwamun Square to block sudden gatherings and demonstrations in the city center. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The large-scale rallies that were anticipated on Gaecheonjeol and Hangeul Day amid the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) passed without significant clashes. However, this incident sparked a debate between quarantine measures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of assembly and demonstration. It became an opportunity for society to begin serious discussions on the 'new normal' caused by COVID-19.

Relaxed Police Barricades... A Process of Finding a Compromise to Guarantee Assemblies

On Hangeul Day, the conservative group 8·15 Emergency Measures Committee (8·15 Emergency Committee) reported a rally of about 2,000 people in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, on the 9th, but the police prohibited it citing COVID-19 quarantine measures. In response, the 8·15 Emergency Committee chose to hold a press conference instead of a full-scale rally, avoiding clashes.

However, the police response was significantly milder compared to Gaecheonjeol on the 3rd. At that time, the police deployed 537 police buses to set up barricades on all roads from Gwanghwamun Square to Seoul City Hall and operated 90 checkpoints to completely block access to Gwanghwamun Square and prevent protesters from entering the city center. On Hangeul Day, police barricades were only partially installed along the roadside of Gwanghwamun Square, and the number of checkpoints was drastically reduced to 57. Four shuttle buses were also operated for citizen passage.

The reason for lowering the response level was the controversy over 'excessive response' on Gaecheonjeol. There were increasing voices calling for a balance between the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of assembly and demonstration and quarantine measures. The inconvenience to citizens caused by total blockade was also considered. Police Chief Kim Chang-ryong stated, "We will devise measures to minimize the risk of infectious disease spread while reducing inconvenience to the public." The police response on Hangeul Day can be understood as part of the process of finding that compromise.

Clash Between Quarantine and Human Rights, Starting Point for 'Post-Corona' Discussions

This is not the first time that quarantine measures and constitutional values have clashed. When the group infection originating from Itaewon clubs spread in May this year, opinions clashed between the necessity of quarantine measures such as disclosing movement paths and protecting privacy. This quickly developed into a social discussion, and the quarantine authorities found a compromise by changing the guidelines for disclosing movement information to minimize the disclosure of confirmed patients' information while assisting the public's quarantine efforts, which is currently being implemented.

The recent 'barricade controversy' is also encouraging in that active exchanges of opinions are taking place across various sectors of society regardless of the legitimacy of the assembly. At the National Assembly inspection of the National Police Agency, there was consensus across party lines on the need for follow-up discussions. Im Ho-seon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "There was talk of holding discussions through public hearings at the National Assembly level with opposition party members as well." The National Human Rights Commission has defined the COVID-19 outbreak as a "test bed to confirm our society's capacity for human rights and the rule of law." The forum for discussions to face the post-corona era is becoming not a choice but a necessity.

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