Police: "Daegu Queer Festival, Assembly Allowed with Just Notification... Police Measures Are Appropriate"

"Daegu Chief Police Officer Responsibility Not Demanded Within Police Agency"
Number of Unreported Infant Cases Rises to 15... 11 Under Investigation

The police have stated that assemblies can be held with only prior notification, without road occupancy permits, in relation to the conflict with Daegu City over road occupancy for the Daeku Queer Culture Festival.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 26th, Cho Ji-ho, Deputy Commissioner of the National Police Agency, said at a press briefing, "Considering customs and the lower court rulings, if it is a public road, assemblies and demonstrations can be held with just a notification without a permit."

During the preparations for the 15th Queer Festival held in Daegu on the 17th, the police and administrative authorities clashed. Mayor Hong claimed that allowing the protest truck to enter was an act of abetting illegal road occupation, while the police maintained the policy of permitting the road festival, stating it was a legitimate assembly based on proper notification.

Regarding Mayor Hong's statement that he would hold the Daegu Police Chief accountable, Cho said, "The National Police Agency did not demand accountability from the Daegu Police Chief," and added, "I believe there was no major problem with the actions of the Daegu police." He further stated, "I do not understand the intent behind holding the Daegu Police Chief responsible."

Cho also said, "The Constitutional Court ruled the nighttime assembly regulation unconstitutional and recommended re-legislation. I hope related legislation will be discussed soon," adding, "I hope legislation will be enacted that balances freedom of assembly with minimizing public inconvenience."

In 2009, the Constitutional Court declared unconstitutional Article 10 of the Assembly and Demonstration Act, which broadly prohibited outdoor assemblies or demonstrations before sunrise or after sunset.

The police revealed that there have been a total of 15 cases referred for investigation related to unreported infants, with 11 currently under investigation. After a full survey by relevant agencies, the police plan to closely examine cases referred for investigation.

Cho stated, "There have been cases where birth registrations were not made in infant abandonment and infant death cases," and added, "We will actively fulfill the police role during the investigation of individual cases."

Regarding the Ministry of Education's mention of possible investigations into the private education industry, he said, "If the Ministry of Education requests an investigation, we will review whether it is subject to investigation and the applicability of penalties, and start an investigation if necessary."

On the suspicion of a 'secret police station in Jeju,' he said, "There should be public authority intervention if a police station is operated secretly, but so far, no such information has been confirmed."

Meanwhile, Cho addressed criticisms about special crackdowns and abuse of promotions, saying, "There are various cases such as focused crackdowns, general crackdowns, and routine crackdowns," and added, "The National Police Commissioner makes decisions after comprehensively reviewing various situations within his judgment area."

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