Law to make second decision today on allowing rallies near 'Yongsan Presidential Office'

Seoul Yongsan Presidential Office / Photo by Transition Team Photographers

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] The court's second ruling on whether to allow rallies near the Yongsan Presidential Office under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration will be announced on the 20th.

At 10:30 a.m. on the same day, the Administrative Division 13 of the Seoul Administrative Court (Chief Judge Park Jeong-dae) will hold a hearing on the suspension of execution (suspension of effect) application filed by the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy against the Yongsan Police Station's order to ban a rally. Since the rally is scheduled for the 21st, a conclusion is expected on this day.

Previously, the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy reported that they would hold a press conference and related rally on "Implementation of Inter-Korean and North Korea-US Agreements and Peace on the Korean Peninsula" in front of the Ministry of National Defense and the War Memorial, but the police prohibited it.

In response to the police's order, the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy filed an administrative lawsuit and simultaneously applied for suspension of execution. Suspension of execution is a decision to temporarily halt the execution or effect of an administrative disposition when it is recognized that irreparable damage may occur due to the administrative agency's disposition.

The court has already ruled that the presidential office is not included in the presidential residence. On the 11th, the Administrative Division 5 of the Seoul Administrative Court (Chief Judge Kim Sun-yeol) partially accepted the suspension of execution application filed by Rainbow Action Against Sexual Minority Discrimination against the Yongsan Police Chief's order to ban a rally.

At that time, the court allowed a march within 100 meters of the Yongsan Presidential Office. However, it prohibited staying continuously in one place due to security and traffic congestion reasons.

Article 11 of the current Assembly and Demonstration Act prohibits outdoor assemblies within 100 meters of the presidential residence. The Yongsan Police Station banned rallies and marches in some sections on the grounds that they were "within 100 meters of the presidential office." This was because, with the launch of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, the presidential office and residence were relocated and separated from the Blue House, and it was judged that the presidential residence is also included in the presidential office.

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