[Chamtrue?] Did Civic Group Rallies Surge During the Yoon Seok-yeol Administration?

Democratic Labor Union, Jeonjangyeon, Women's Groups, Conservative Groups Hold Annual Protests
Protest Locations Scattered... Early Term Visit of President Biden to South Korea Also Influences
Police Tough Response Highlights Conflicts

President Yoon Suk-yeol is seeing off former President Moon Jae-in after the inauguration ceremony of the 20th president held at the National Assembly on the 10th of last month. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

"During the Moon Jae-in administration, it was quiet, but once the Yoon Seok-yeol administration began, there have been 'intense protests.'"

Recently, posts claiming this have been appearing on internet communities and social networking services (SNS) regarding labor and civic groups' rallies. The claim is that the frequency of rallies held by civic groups varies depending on the government.

In fact, this year, restrictions on the number of participants in rallies and protests due to COVID-19 were recently lifted, and events such as the nationwide general strike by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Cargo Solidarity and the morning commute protests by the National Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (Jeonjangyeon) have been highlighted.

However, such rallies have been continuously held since May 2017, including the first month of former President Moon Jae-in's inauguration. In the case of KCTU, rallies were held on May 1, 13, 24, and 27 in 2017 when Moon took office. This was because related events commemorating Labor Day on May 1 and the spirit of the May 18 Democratic Uprising were concentrated. KCTU also held rallies on May 1, 11, 17, 24, and 28 this year, when President Yoon took office. There was no significant difference in frequency compared to the Moon administration.

In particular, Yang Kyung-soo, chairman of KCTU, and other officials were prosecuted for leading large-scale rallies in downtown Seoul during the COVID-19 spread under the Moon administration. Chairman Yang was arrested and indicted on related charges and received a suspended prison sentence in the first trial.

The same applies to teachers' organizations and women's groups. The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (Jeon-gyo-jo) held its 28th and 33rd anniversary rallies respectively in the first May of the Moon and Yoon administrations. The "Joint Action to Prevent the Abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family" condemned the Yoon administration's pledge to abolish the ministry in front of the National Assembly in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on the 10th of last month. During the Moon administration, on May 17, 2017, women's and civic groups held a memorial rally for the first anniversary of the misogynistic murder case known as the "Gangnam Station incident," which drew attention.

Beyond political camps, conservative groups have also continued rallies and protests. During the Moon administration, conservative groups grew their influence by claiming the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye was invalid. On May 17, 2017, conservative groups such as the National Resistance Headquarters, the People's Movement for a New Korea, and the Taegukgi Citizen Revolution National Movement Headquarters held rallies to nullify the impeachment. Under the Yoon administration, the Liberty Unification Party led by Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon held rallies condemning the passage of the "complete removal of prosecution's investigative authority" (Geomsu-wanbak) bill. On the 5th, the Liberty Unification Party held an overnight rally in front of Donghwa Duty Free Shop in Jongno-gu, Seoul, and is under police investigation for exceeding nighttime noise limits.

So why do citizens feel that rallies and protests have increased recently? First, the locations of large rallies and protests have become more scattered than before. During the Moon administration, rallies and protests were concentrated in Gwanghwamun Square or in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido. However, under the current administration, protests have occupied areas such as in front of the Yongsan Presidential Office, Seocho Acrovista, subway stations, and morning commute roads, making the protests more palpable.

The series of major incidents early in President Yoon's term has also influenced rallies and protests. Even before taking office, this administration announced plans to move the presidential office from the Blue House to Yongsan, prompting many civic groups to hold pro and con protests. Additionally, U.S. President Joe Biden visited South Korea immediately after President Yoon's inauguration, leading to welcoming and condemning rallies related to the U.S. president's visit.

On the other hand, explanations also point to heightened conflicts due to changes in police attitudes. The Moon administration ordered the police to be human rights-oriented upon taking office. Riot control devices such as barricades and water cannons were removed, resulting in relatively less conflict. In contrast, the current administration has taken a firm stance on the illegality of rallies and protests. When the KCTU Public Transport Workers' Union Cargo Solidarity declared a general strike on the 7th, the police responded swiftly by arresting 28 union members on site.