Despite Court Restrictions, Eunma Continues Protests

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Wanyong] It has been confirmed that some residents of the Eunma Apartment Reconstruction Promotion Committee, who are demanding the rerouting of the Seoul Metropolitan Area Express Train (GTX)-C line, are continuing their protests despite the court's injunction prohibiting protests and banner installations, having only partially changed the protest routes and banner texts.

According to residents of Hannam-dong and Hyundai Construction on the 26th, the Eunma Apartment Reconstruction Promotion Committee resumed gatherings from the 13th after the court issued an injunction on the 9th prohibiting protests and banner installations, changing the banner texts and holding the gatherings about 260 meters away from the residence of Chung Euisun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

Some residents of the Eunma Apartment Reconstruction Promotion Committee have caused inconvenience to citizens by occupying two lanes with about 10 vehicles.

This was to avoid the injunction that prohibited noise generation through loudspeakers within a 100-meter radius of Chairman Chung’s residence, posting banners that defame honor, and the posting or movement of vehicles with baseless defamatory phrases on banners within a 250-meter radius.

Due to these protests, residents of Hannam-dong and citizens are experiencing significant inconvenience, as the roads in Hannam-dong where the protests resumed are densely packed with commercial establishments. The Promotion Committee is occupying two lanes on the sidewalk side using about ten vehicles, disrupting citizens’ driving. Drivers’ safety is also threatened, as U-turning vehicles are blocked by protest vehicles, causing them to repeatedly move back and forth with difficulty.

Additionally, the Promotion Committee is operating vehicles with loudspeakers placed on the passenger seat, repeatedly playing protest slogans loudly. Given that the changed protest section extends to 2.6 km, the inconvenience to nearby citizens is by no means less than before the court injunction.

The Promotion Committee also newly installed about 20 banners along the protest road, which were not seen before the injunction. Although all were removed once following reports from residents, they were immediately reinstalled.

Consequently, some voices are calling for strong punishment against indiscriminate nuisance protests that proceed at the expense of the inconvenience of many citizens.

A lawyer stated, “In the United States and Europe, illegal protests that disrupt public order are punished with imprisonment or heavy fines,” and added, “Our country also needs institutional measures to prevent nuisance protests that hold the inconvenience of many citizens hostage.”

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