"Please Stop It" Conservative Group Announces Gaecheonjeol Rally... Citizens Express Outrage

Conservative and Far-Right Groups Announce Large-Scale Rally in Downtown Seoul on National Foundation Day, October 3
Seoul City Denies Most Gatherings... Citizens Criticize "Absolutely Unacceptable"
Over 500 COVID-19 Cases Linked to October 15 Gwanghwamun Rally
Self-Employed and Small Business Owners Hit Hard by Sales Decline
Political Sphere Signals Strict Law Enforcement with Zero Tolerance Policy

On the afternoon of the 15th of last month, Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church is speaking at a rally condemning the government and ruling party held in front of Donghwa Duty Free Shop in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Conservative and far-right groups have again reported plans to hold large-scale rallies in downtown Seoul on October 3, National Foundation Day (Gaecheonjeol). Groups such as Jayu Yeondae, Cheonmanin Muje Seokbang Movement Headquarters, and Taegukgi Revolution National Movement Headquarters have collectively reported tens of thousands of participants. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that most of the 27 rallies reported within Seoul city were denied permission. Political circles hinted at strict law enforcement under a zero-tolerance policy. Citizens also raised their voices in criticism, calling it antisocial behavior.

Ahead of National Foundation Day, some conservative groups have announced plans to mobilize large numbers of people, urging participants to "turn off their cell phones and attend the rally." Posters related to the National Foundation Day rally spreading mainly on social networking services (SNS) such as Twitter and Facebook include the phrase "Again 10·3 Free Right-Wing Gathering, Handphone off (power off)."

This is interpreted as an attempt to avoid cell phone location tracking for epidemiological investigations related to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Citizens immediately voiced their dissatisfaction. They pointed out that the rallies promoted by conservative groups, which disregard community safety for their political purposes, are antisocial behavior.

Kim, a man in his 30s who works near Gwanghwamun in Jongno, Seoul, said, "This is behavior that cannot be understood by common sense," adding, "It is utterly irresponsible to endanger the safety of many for their own purposes."

Another office worker in his 30s, Park, criticized, "After the Liberation Day rally, COVID-19 cases surged dramatically. How can they think like that again? It seems they are willing to do anything for their political goals. I hope they are severely punished."

Due to the strengthened Level 2 social distancing measures in the Seoul metropolitan area amid the recent spread of the novel coronavirus, self-employed business owners are facing increasing difficulties. On the 1st, a notice of business suspension was posted at a store in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

As citizens feared, the number of confirmed cases related to the Gwanghwamun rally held on the 15th reached 527 as of noon on the 6th. About half of these infections were due to secondary transmission. The regional distribution was 260 in the metropolitan area and 267 outside the metropolitan area.

The social suffering caused by the COVID-19 surge has become a reality. According to the service industry production index, which is based on the monthly sales index of industrial activity from Statistics Korea, accommodation and food services have shown a year-on-year decrease for seven consecutive months from February (-16.8%), when the impact of COVID-19 began, to July (-16.0%).

The arts, sports, and leisure-related service industries have also been declining for seven months. The decrease reached as high as 47.5% in March, indicating severe damage. Retail and wholesale businesses also showed a decrease ranging from 0.2% to 7.5% during the same period.

This is why conservative groups planning rallies on National Foundation Day are being criticized as engaging in unacceptable antisocial behavior.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and quarantine authorities have not only banned rallies but also recommended refraining from travel during the upcoming Chuseok holiday. Kim Tae-gyun, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Administration Bureau, said at a briefing on the 6th, "Seven groups have reported 27 rallies to the police," adding, "Most of these were reported within prohibited rally zones, including near Gwanghwamun, so the police are notifying the prohibition of rallies under the Assembly and Demonstration Act."

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters stated, "Given the current trend, it is predicted to be impossible to completely control asymptomatic and latent infections by Chuseok, three weeks from now," and recommended refraining from visiting hometowns and relatives during the Chuseok holiday period.

On the morning of the 4th, medical staff at the screening clinic of Chonnam National University Hospital in Dong-gu, Gwangju, are preparing for COVID-19 diagnostic tests. In Gwangju, the cumulative number of confirmed cases exceeded 400 as of midnight the previous day. It has been seven months since the first and 16th domestic confirmed case was reported on February 4th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Voices calling to stop the National Foundation Day rallies are also emerging in political circles.

Kim Tae-nyeon, the floor leader, said in his opening remarks at a high-level party-government meeting that day, "The actions of far-right groups that have announced rallies on National Foundation Day, forgetting the lessons from the Liberation Day rally, are absolutely unacceptable antisocial acts." He emphasized, "I strongly request that public authorities firmly exercise their power under a zero-tolerance principle against antisocial acts that hinder quarantine."

No Woong-rae, a Supreme Council member, criticized on Facebook that day, "The National Foundation Day rally is not a simple protest but a terrorist act aimed at paralyzing the national quarantine system and government functions." He urged, "All possible public authorities should be mobilized to preemptively block the rally and severely punish the ringleaders of this terrorist group disguised as far-right."

Assemblyman Park Beom-gye said that the proposal by Assemblywoman Lee Su-jin to block the National Foundation Day rally with legislation is "highly reasonable," adding, "It aims to prevent rash decisions on temporary measures for high-risk issues such as infectious disease outbreaks." He also argued, "Some conservative media articles generalizing this as 'blocking conservative rallies by law' are wrong."

Earlier, on the 5th, Democratic Party Assemblywoman Lee Su-jin posted on her Facebook, "Even if the court suspends the prohibition of rallies, if the administrative agency appeals, I will lead a bill to amend the Administrative Litigation Act to temporarily suspend the effect of the suspension decision."