Oh Se-hoon: "190 Gatherings on Gwangbokjeol Banned... Illegal Assemblies Will Be Reported"

Request to Cancel Gwangbokjeol Rally
"Will Make Every Effort to Prevent the Rally"

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon requested the cancellation of gatherings during the Liberation Day holiday and stated that if illegal gatherings take place, they will be reported under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.

On the 10th, Mayor Oh announced an urgent statement regarding the August 15 gatherings at Seoul City Hall, saying, "Based on the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, Seoul City has notified all groups that registered gatherings on August 15 of the prohibition of their assemblies."

As of this day, the National Police Agency has notified a total of 38 groups and 190 cases of 'Liberation Day gatherings.'

Mayor Oh emphasized, "Even if additional gathering registrations are submitted in the future, Seoul City plans to immediately notify the respective groups of the prohibition of their gatherings, and will make every effort to suppress gatherings and manage quarantine measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 caused by illegal assemblies."

Mayor Oh stated, "If illegal gatherings are forcibly held despite these appeals, the city will inevitably take legal action against the organizers and participants based on violations of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. While the freedom of political expression must be guaranteed, that freedom sometimes needs to be restricted if it harms others and threatens the public interest."

Mayor Oh requested the cancellation of the scheduled gatherings for the sake of citizens' lives and health, noting, "Last year's 'Liberation Day gatherings' also sparked controversy as they were ultimately the trigger for the second major wave of COVID-19, drawing public criticism."

Mayor Oh said, "Small business owners and self-employed individuals, who are suffering under the highest level 4 social distancing measures due to the fourth wave, are worried that last year's nightmare might repeat itself. In an already difficult situation, if gatherings are held, participants' disturbances could severely disrupt business operations, and there is anxiety over the stigma of 'Gwanghwamun as a mass infection area' being attached."

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