People Power Party: "Government 'Neglects' Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Rally...Selective Quarantine"

"Why Are Gwangbokjeol Gatherings Prohibited but Today's Quarantine Measures Are Relaxed?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] On the 14th, the People Power Party criticized the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) for holding a large-scale rally to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the martyr Jeon Tae-il, stating, "The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has recorded triple digits for eight consecutive days, and yesterday it approached 200, making the threat of the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) even more serious," and added, "The government is standing by with a different standard compared to previous rallies such as the Liberation Day rally."

Kim Ye-ryeong, spokesperson for the People Power Party, said in a statement that day, "The government, which was fervently enforcing COVID-19 prevention measures, is now quietly backing down with requests for restraint, which inevitably leads to talk of 'selective quarantine' and 'political quarantine' that divides people into friends and foes," and added, "There must be a concrete explanation about what the government's quarantine standards are, why it was not allowed then, and why the policy has changed to a looser quarantine today."

Spokesperson Kim stated, "The People Power Party holds the principle that freedom of expression and assembly guaranteed by the Constitution should be actively protected unless there is a special public danger, and we intend to respect this," and emphasized, "However, it must be clearly stressed that arbitrary purposes should not intervene in the government's judgment of quarantine standards."

Kim also said, "If today's rally becomes a catalyst for the re-spread of COVID-19, the government, ruling party, Seoul city, and police must clearly remember that they cannot escape responsibility."

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