"Minju No Chong is Scary, Are Self-Employed People Ridiculous?" Opposition Criticizes Government's Quarantine Measures Fiercely

On the afternoon of the 3rd, members of the National Public Workers' Labor Union Federation (KCTU) held a nationwide workers' rally while occupying the road in Jongno-gu, Seoul, demanding a complete revision of the labor law.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Recently, in relation to the large-scale COVID-19 infections, the opposition party has been criticizing the large-scale rally held by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) last weekend and the government's failure to prevent it.

On the 9th, Park Dae-chul, a member of the People Power Party, mentioned the nationwide KCTU rally held on the 3rd on his Facebook, criticizing the Moon Jae-in administration by saying, "During the Gwanghwamun rally, they called it an 'antisocial crime' and 'murderer,' but when it comes to the KCTU rally, they belatedly talk about soulless 'legal measures.'"

Park said, "Is the KCTU scary, but small business owners laughable?" and pointed out, "The government's response is completely different from last year's Gwanghwamun rally." He added, "I am angry about the false hope, and even more angry about the government's double standards," and said, "Innocent small business owners are doomed again."

He continued, "Even in terms of the number of confirmed cases, the KCTU rally had more than four times as many as last year's Gwanghwamun rally," and said, "Yet the risk level and the government's response are inversely proportional. That contradiction is the current state of chronic division."

On the 9th, Heo Eun-ah, a member of the People Power Party, posted a critical message on her Facebook regarding the government's quarantine measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic. [Photo by Facebook]

Heo Eun-ah, also a member of the People Power Party, wrote on her Facebook the same day, "The government and ruling party must take full responsibility for state affairs and quarantine." Heo criticized, "The coronavirus does not distinguish between conservative or progressive. There is no ruling or opposition in quarantine," and said, "The government blamed the 2030 generation for the spread of COVID-19 and ignored the KCTU's rally of 8,000 people." She pointed out, "This kind of double standard is what angers the people."

Earlier, on the 3rd, the KCTU held a nationwide workers' rally in the Jongno area of Seoul, with approximately 8,000 attendees estimated by the organizers. The KCTU initially planned to hold the rally in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, but when the police blocked the venue by setting up barricades, the location was urgently changed to Jongno.

There were criticisms that social distancing was not adequately observed at the large gathering that day. The government and political circles criticized the rally for being held amid the COVID-19 spread.

In response, the KCTU issued a statement on the 8th, saying, "There are no confirmed COVID-19 cases among the rally participants," and claimed, "Politicians who connect the spread of COVID-19 to the nationwide workers' rally and assert that the KCTU is responsible for the spread should bear appropriate responsibility."

Meanwhile, health authorities stated that the KCTU rally is not directly related to the recent COVID-19 surge. On the 9th, the Central Disease Control Headquarters, in a response submitted to Kim Mi-ae, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee from the People Power Party, said, "It is difficult to see that the KCTU rally influenced the recent large-scale infections."

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