[Reporter’s Notebook] Another Large-Scale KCTU Rally...Police Negligence of Duty

On the afternoon of the 15th, participants are shouting slogans at the 2022 People's General Uprising rally held at Yeouido Park in Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] This is already the fifth time. The pattern is becoming tiresome. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) is announcing a large-scale rally. The police issue bans on all reported rallies and, a day before the event, declare a strict stance on illegal assemblies, including 'blocking gatherings.' On the day of the rally, the KCTU announces the surprise gathering location one to two hours before the event. More than 10,000 people gather on time. The police’s blocking measures are nowhere to be seen, and the KCTU conducts the rally in a well-organized manner before dispersing. The rally held on the 15th at Yeouido Park, with an estimated 15,000 participants (according to the organizers), was no different.

The aftermath is also predictable. The police will say they will "investigate strictly," summon participants and organizers for questioning, and send them to the prosecution. The health authorities will brief that there was no large-scale COVID-19 spread due to the rally. But that is all. The KCTU will evaluate the rally’s achievements positively and announce plans for the next large-scale rally, and the police will repeat the same response then as well.

Setting aside the controversy over the government’s COVID-19 quarantine measures and citizens’ basic rights, such as the vaccination certificate and negative test confirmation system (quarantine pass), the police, as a law enforcement agency, have the responsibility to maintain public order and security. It might be understandable if this had happened only once or twice. But the police have neglected the KCTU rallies five times already. At this point, the police have no excuse against criticism of ‘dereliction of duty.’ It’s no wonder there is ridicule saying, "If you wear a KCTU vest, COVID-19 just avoids you."

The police may have some grievances as well. They might have feared criticism for oppressing citizens if they had strongly blocked the rallies, and they might have judged that if clashes occurred, the situation could spiral out of control. However, all police responses and law enforcement must maintain fairness. Remember the police blocking the ‘drive-thru’ style rallies by self-employed workers last year. From a quarantine perspective, those rallies were actually safer, yet the police blocked their path. The police, who faced various controversies over inadequate responses last year, promised to restore public trust. This is impossible without fair and strict law enforcement for everyone.

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