Irregular Workers' Joint Action Vehicle Protest in Downtown Seoul, Proceeding Despite Police Ban Notice

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] A vehicle march by civic groups demanding the enactment of the Serious Accident Punishment Act (Serious Accident Act) was carried out despite the police's prohibition notice on the assembly.

The "240 Hope Vehicle March Preparation Committee to Save Lives and Stop Layoffs," composed of labor and civic groups including "Stop Irregular Employment Now," held a press conference on the 26th in front of the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) building in Yeouido and announced, "The march starting from the FKI building is canceled, but marches have begun at three locations in Seoul."

They had previously announced a 240-vehicle march along the route from the FKI building to the Seoul Employment and Labor Office and near the Blue House, demanding the enactment of the Serious Accident Act, a ban on layoffs of irregular workers, and the reinstatement of Kim Jin-suk, the guiding committee member of the Busan branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. However, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and police issued a prohibition notice on the 24th, citing the increased number of COVID-19 cases and the risk of infectious disease spread during assemblies and demonstrations.

In response, the protest organizers stated that they would proceed with the march while adhering to their own quarantine measures, including ▲a non-contact method without leaving the vehicles ▲maintaining intervals of 3 minutes and distances over 100 meters ▲and a speed limit of 50 km/h. Nevertheless, the police responded strictly by setting up police buses as barricades on the road in front of the FKI building and operating checkpoints before the assembly began.

At the press conference, the organizers announced that they would disperse the starting points and march along the route from the National Assembly to the LG Twin Towers, Hanjin Heavy Industries headquarters, Seoul Employment and Labor Office, near the Blue House, and Gwanghwamun Square. They said, "Even if the government tries to block citizens' voices under the pretext of quarantine, the hope vehicles will not stop," adding, "If even this level of vehicle protest is criminally punished, what kind of citizen in the Republic of Korea can raise their voice?"

Later, when the police blocked the march of protest vehicles with flags and stickers around Yeouido, the remaining vehicles took detours, causing congestion.

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