Police Raid Incheon Cafe for '24-Hour Operation'; Yoon Says, "How Can People Live in Fear?"

"How Desperate Must They Have Been? Are Ordinary Citizens Just Easy Targets?"
"Government Bears the Greatest Responsibility for COVID-19 Surge and the Push for Normalcy"

Yoon Seokyoul, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, is speaking at the launch ceremony of the Gyeongsangbuk-do election campaign committee held at the Korea National Institute of Korean Studies in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, on the afternoon of the 29th. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy, reporter Kang Juhui] Yoon Seokyoul, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, criticized the government and police authorities for conducting a search and seizure at a cafe in Incheon that insisted on operating 24 hours, saying, "How can people live if they are so afraid?"

On the 30th, Yoon wrote on his Facebook page, "A fine would have been enough, but to barge into the store and search every corner? Of course, violating quarantine rules is wrong, but what circumstances could have led them to do this?"

He continued, "The government rushed into the 'With Corona' (phased return to normal life) without proper preparation, and when COVID-19 spread, they reverted to stricter social distancing. How difficult must this have been for small business owners? Does the government, which bears the greatest responsibility, really have the right to conduct a search and seizure?"

He added, "Responding in this way is by no means normal. It is a clear abuse of state power. For ordinary people, a police search and seizure is extremely unusual and even frightening. Of course, sanctions for violating quarantine rules are necessary, but authorities should not intimidate citizens by going as far as search and seizure."

Yoon also said, "If they are even surveilling opposition presidential candidates, perhaps ordinary citizens were never in their sights to begin with," referring to the recent controversy in which the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) obtained communication records of opposition lawmakers and journalists.

He went on to say, "Can you not see the wounds and tears of small business owners who, without proper compensation, have endured mounting deficits and have been driven to close their businesses? While the Daejang-dong Gate scandal is not being properly investigated, are only ordinary citizens easy targets? Do not use police power recklessly to suppress public dissatisfaction with political quarantine measures. Instead, the government should focus on what it is supposed to do."

Notice from a large cafe in Incheon that insisted on operating 24 hours./Photo by Instagram capture

Previously, the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency's Major Crime Unit announced that it had booked Mr. A, the owner of a large cafe in Incheon, on charges of violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. Mr. A is accused of operating two cafes-one at Songdo Amusement Park and another directly managed branch in Songdo International City-between December 18 and 20, in violation of the government's 9 p.m. business hour restrictions.

At the time, both cafes posted a notice at their entrances stating, "This store will continue normal 24-hour operations regardless of the government's business hour restrictions," and continued to operate. As a result, on December 21, Yeonsu District Office reported Mr. A to the police for violating infectious disease regulations.

On the previous day (the 29th), the police conducted a search and seizure at the two cafes. The police plan to analyze the cafes' CCTV footage and credit card terminals obtained during the search in order to identify customers who visited after 9 p.m. on the days when the cafes operated 24 hours in defiance of the rules.

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