1670 Seoul Rally Reports on Samiljeol... Administrative Actions for Quarantine Rule Violations

On the 28th, a notice prohibiting gatherings in the city center was installed at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. Ahead of the March 1st Movement anniversary, the court still applied strict standards to large-scale gatherings and decided to disallow them. The intention is to prevent risks similar to those during last year's Liberation Day in Seoul's city center, which led to a COVID-19 cluster infection. However, some gatherings with restrictions on time and number of participants were permitted. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] With more than 1,600 assembly reports filed in Seoul for Samiljeol, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has decided to impose administrative measures for violations of COVID-19 quarantine rules.

On the 28th, Seoul reported the 'March 1st Urban Assembly Response Plan' at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting, which included these details.

According to the city, as of the 26th of this month, a total of 1,670 assemblies for Samiljeol have been reported. Various forms such as press conferences, one-person protests, and assemblies of fewer than nine people will be held, with around 2,500 participants expected.

The city plans to conduct joint operations with the police at major locations such as Seoul Plaza on the 1st of next month when the assemblies take place and will file complaints against illegal assemblies. Administrative measures such as fines will also be imposed for violations of quarantine rules.

Additionally, fences will be installed at Seoul Plaza and other locations, and the assembly organizers will be informed about the quarantine rules. Depending on the situation on site, subway exits may be controlled, and detour routes will be arranged so that city buses cannot stop at bus stops such as City Hall and Gwanghwamun.

Earlier, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency issued prohibition notices for assemblies in more than 100 restricted areas and assemblies of nine or more people, and requested the use of public transportation and detour routes on Samiljeol, citing expected inconveniences such as traffic congestion caused by the assemblies.