Police to Take Tough Measures Against Construction Site Protests This Year... Dual Approach with Investigation and Enforcement

Principle of On-Site Arrest for Collective Illegal Activities
Strengthening Noise Control... Immediate Effective Measures
Special Crackdown Concurrently Until June 25 This Year

Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Migeun-dong, National Police Agency Lobby
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The police will continue their tough stance on illegal activities at assembly and protest sites this year. While last year’s focus was on strike sites centered around the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), this year the emphasis is expected to shift to construction sites.

According to the National Police Agency on the 2nd, the police have decided to respond on the principle of "on-site arrest" when illegal acts involving collective force occur at construction sites and other locations this year. The focus will be on collective violence and assaults on police officers, and if necessary, dedicated investigation teams will be formed within each metropolitan and provincial police agency. The scope of judicial measures will also be expanded to investigate and punish not only the perpetrators of violent acts but also the ringleaders and accomplices.

Management of noise from assembly and protests at construction sites, which often start early in the morning, will also be strengthened. If noise from assemblies in residential areas during early morning hours exceeds the standard, the police will skip the noise maintenance order and immediately issue orders to stop the use of loudspeakers and sound equipment or temporarily confiscate them. The current legal noise standard for assemblies in residential areas during nighttime is 55dB, which is lower than the noise level generated by normal conversation (55dB).

This police response policy toward construction site assemblies and protests is closely linked to the determination of Police Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun. Last December, Commissioner Yoon designated the eradication of illegal acts at construction sites as the "No. 3 Promise for Public Perception." In his New Year’s address, he stated, "(Some union members) extort money under the pretext of sponsorship fees, force unfair employment, and resort to assault and threats if refused, turning construction sites into lawless zones," adding, "The police will no longer tolerate lawless scenes marked by the disappearance of principles and common sense, and stained by illegality and disorder."

This year’s police stance on construction site assemblies and protests is expected to be benchmarked by last year’s mass transport refusal incident by the Public Transport Workers’ Union of the KCTU. At that time, the police deployed about 70 police stations, 70 companies, and 2 battalions nationwide to respond to the mass transport refusal by the Cargo Solidarity Union. They investigated over 30 cases of transport obstruction and booked more than 50 individuals. Commissioner Yoon also said, "Even after the situation ends, all perpetrators of retaliatory crimes will be prosecuted without exception."

The police are also conducting special crackdowns on organized illegal activities at construction sites. This crackdown, which began in December last year, will continue until June 25 this year. Targets include ▲ obstruction of business and violent acts demonstrating collective force ▲ extortion through organized violence and threats ▲ forced hiring or use of construction machinery by specific groups ▲ illegal assemblies and protests ▲ retaliatory acts against whistleblowers. A police official stated, "We will proceed with detention investigations for repeated illegal acts."