'Car Protest' Self-Employed Unite from All Over the Country... Emergency Committee Expands Nationwide

Self-Employed Business Emergency Committee Starts Activities with Nationwide Branches
"If Social Distancing Extends After August 8, Nationwide Car Protests Planned"
Police to Strictly Handle Illegal Acts

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] A self-employed business group that held a two-day vehicle protest in downtown Seoul recently has decided to expand its size and respond to the extension of social distancing measures.

The National Emergency Countermeasures Committee for Self-Employed Businesses Responding to COVID-19, which is an alliance of self-employed business groups by industry, has decided to expand its activities from the metropolitan area to a nationwide scale and has completed the appointment of branch heads for each city and province. Going forward, they plan to carry out simultaneous collective actions nationwide, centered on regional bases.

Earlier, the committee issued a statement on the 26th, warning that if the current social distancing levels are not eased after the 8th of next month, they will hold a nationwide vehicle protest.

Although the exact date has not been set, if the extension decision is made around the 8th of next month, the committee plans to immediately prepare a nationwide vehicle protest. Previously, they conducted two nighttime vehicle protests over two days on the 14th and 15th in downtown Seoul, demanding △ changes to unequal quarantine rules △ clarification of the content and scope of compensation for losses △ freezing or lowering the minimum wage. The nationwide vehicle protest will be conducted in a similar manner, encouraging maximum participation from self-employed business owners who can gather nearby, centered on the newly formed city and provincial branches.

Kim Ki-hong, co-representative of the National Emergency Countermeasures Committee for Self-Employed Businesses Responding to COVID-19, said, "We tried to solve the problem through dialogue as much as possible, but that has not been feasible. We cannot ask self-employed business owners to continue enduring pain, so we will not stop collective actions until our demands are met."

Meanwhile, the police have regarded the vehicle protests held by these groups as illegal and have started an internal investigation. After reviewing the law, if the organizers are judged to have violated the Assembly and Demonstration Act, the police are expected to formally investigate by booking the related individuals.