'Police Not Visible' 'Protester Hit Vehicle' Reports
Assemblyman Choi Chunsik "Investigation Needed on Whether Police Response Was Adequate"
On the afternoon of the 3rd, members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions occupied the road at Jongno 3-ga, holding a nationwide workers' rally demanding a complete revision of the labor law. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] It has been revealed that five 112 emergency calls related to the nationwide rally of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions in downtown Seoul on the 3rd of this month were received. Most of the reports complained about traffic inconveniences caused by the rally.
On the 22nd, Choi Chun-sik, a member of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee from the People Power Party, investigated data from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and confirmed that five 112 calls from Seoul citizens related to the rally were received between 1:53 PM and 3:46 PM on the day of the rally, the 3rd.
The main reports included complaints such as "Protesters are hitting the reporter's vehicle, preventing it from moving," "The protesters are blocking the road, please clear the way," "Many people are gathered and occupying the road, making passage difficult," and "Protesters are walking on the road, making vehicle movement impossible, but no police officers are visible."
Regarding this, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency reportedly informed that "the traffic situation related to the rally will be resolved promptly," according to Representative Choi. Representative Choi stated, "The illegal rally caused significant inconvenience to citizens," and added, "We will thoroughly investigate whether the police response on site that day was adequate and make efforts to establish measures to prevent recurrence."
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a nationwide workers' rally with an estimated 8,000 participants (according to the organizers) in the Jongno-gu area of Seoul on the 3rd of this month. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency formed a special investigation headquarters consisting of 52 members, led by the head of the investigation department, and has begun investigations, having booked 23 people and conducting internal investigations on 2 others. It is also reported that the mobile phones of Yang Kyung-soo, chairman of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, and Kim Ho-gyu, chairman of the Korean Metal Workers' Union, were seized and searched.
After the rally, three participants tested positive for COVID-19. In response, the union stated, "The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency issued an administrative order for COVID-19 testing for rally attendees," and claimed, "They are distorting the facts and defaming the union by implying that the three positive cases are related to the rally attendance." They further explained, "The first confirmed case was tested on the 15th and received a positive result on the morning of the 16th. Two others, colleagues working in the same department as the first confirmed case who had lunch together, underwent proactive testing on the afternoon of the 16th and tested positive on the 17th."
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