Police "Strict Crackdown on Illegal 'Modified Solo Protests' During Gwangbokjeol Holiday"

"Even Modified Solo Protests Are Clearly Illegal"
Subway Non-Stop and Bus Detours for Traffic Control

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon, senior pastor of Sarang Jeil Church and leader of the National Revolutionary Party, announced that the police will take a strict stance against illegal rallies scheduled in downtown Seoul from August 14 to 16, including a modified "one-person protest" he is promoting around Liberation Day.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency stated on the 10th, "Despite the prohibition of assemblies by quarantine authorities and the police during the Liberation Day holiday period, several groups are pushing for large-scale illegal rallies," adding, "These are clear illegal acts violating the Assembly and Demonstration Act (Assembly Act) and quarantine standards under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act."

The police emphasized that the modified one-person protests promoted by Pastor Jeon and others are illegal. This judgment considers the court's consistent rulings that one-person protests involving multiple people gathering without maintaining sufficient distance of several tens of meters are illegal demonstrations, as well as the quarantine authorities' legal interpretation that prayer meetings and political party speeches violate quarantine rules under social distancing level 4.

The police plan to block the gathering of people and operate temporary checkpoints to completely block the entry of various protest materials, including broadcasting and stage vehicles. The police stated, "We will strongly respond to illegal acts such as assault on officers by arresting offenders on the spot," and emphasized, "We will strictly prosecute the executive members who led the illegal rallies to the end."

Furthermore, to block gatherings in the downtown area, the police will coordinate with related agencies and, if necessary, implement traffic control measures such as non-stop operation at major subway stations and bus route detours. The police explained, "To minimize inconvenience to citizens, we will conduct advance traffic control announcements and operate police shuttle buses on subway non-stop and bus detour routes," adding, "We are preparing various on-site measures, including installing numerous related signboards at traffic control points."

The police urged, "We earnestly ask everyone to refrain from large-scale rallies that could cause the spread of infectious diseases so that the quarantine efforts made by the quarantine authorities and the entire nation will not be in vain," and requested, "We also sincerely ask citizens to refrain from going out to downtown areas as much as possible."

Meanwhile, Pastor Jeon, who led a large-scale rally on Liberation Day last year that caused a mass infection outbreak, announced that from 6 a.m. on the 14th until the 16th, he will hold the "Moon Jae-in Impeachment 8·15 10 Million One-Person Protest Rally" around Liberation Day. He also presented a detailed plan for participants to each hold placards, maintain a 2-meter distance, start from Seoul Station, pass through Namdaemun, City Hall, Donghwa Duty-Free Shop, and return to Seoul Station on the day of the rally.

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