Gathering Around Gwanghwamun... Clashing with Police Amid Loud Shouting
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] Amid the resurgence of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) centered in the Seoul metropolitan area, conservative groups forcibly held rallies in downtown Seoul. Thousands of participants, including members of Sarang Jeil Church, gathered around Gwanghwamun in Seoul.
On the 15th, conservative groups such as Sarang Jeil Church, led by Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon, and the Liberty Solidarity held a rally near Gyeongbokgung Station in Jongno-gu, Seoul, condemning the government and the ruling party. Despite the rain, participants began gathering two hours before the rally started. Although police explained Seoul City's rally ban order to the attendees and urged them to leave, the rally was carried out. Some participants shouted at the controlling police in defiance.
The participants condemned the government's real estate policies and the successive sexual misconduct scandals involving local government heads affiliated with the Democratic Party of Korea, demanding the president's resignation. Thousands of participants filled Sejong-daero and marched toward Gwanghwamun and the Blue House. Hundreds also gathered inside Gwanghwamun Square, a prohibited rally area, shouting slogans and praying.
Initially, attendees of the rally organized by Liberty Solidarity and Sarang Jeil Church planned to hold the rally at Gyeongbokgung Station. However, upon seeing police forces deployed and controlling the area, they moved to the front of Donghwa Duty-Free Shop, the rally site of another conservative group, Ilpamanpa. The rally in front of Donghwa Duty-Free Shop on Sejong-daero, reported by Ilpamanpa as having 100 participants, reportedly exceeded 5,000 attendees.
Other conservative groups also proceeded with their rallies on the day. The April 15 Fraud Election National Struggle Headquarters (Guktubon) held a rally near Euljiro 1-ga Station in Jung-gu, Seoul, claiming that the April 15 general election was fraudulent.
The police plan to forcibly disperse participants who do not comply with requests to refrain from rallying and will immediately arrest anyone who commits violence against public officials. Seoul City also plans to file complaints against rally participants.
According to the police, as of 3 p.m., traffic on Sejong-daero (from Gwanghwamun to City Hall Intersection), Jongno (from Jongno 1-ga to Jeongdong Intersection), and Sajik-ro (from Dongnimmun Intersection to Dongsipja Intersection) is being controlled. On Namdaemun-ro, an eight-lane road (from Bank of Korea Intersection to Euljiro 1-ga), only half of the lanes, four lanes, are operating.
Meanwhile, Sarang Jeil Church has recently been at the center of the COVID-19 spread focused on the church. Although the church received a ban notification for the rally near Gyeongbokgung Station it had reported, it encouraged its nationwide members to participate in other rallies. As of 2 p.m. on the day, the church had a cumulative total of 134 confirmed cases.
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