Presidential Office Holds Public Participation Debate on 'Assembly and Demonstration Requirements'

Held for 3 Weeks on the National Proposal Website Until the 3rd of Next Month
The Presidential Office to Prepare Recommendations After the Discussion Ends

The Presidential Office announced that from the 13th of this month until the 3rd of next month, a three-week public participation debate will be held on strengthening noise control and imposing restrictions on assemblies and demonstrations, including limitations on specific times and places.

In the discussion paper for this debate, the Presidential Office explained the reason for selecting the topic, stating, "Our Constitution guarantees the freedom of assembly and association as a fundamental right of the people, and the freedom of assembly and demonstration has been continuously expanding in our society. However, recently, opinions have been raised that the inconvenience borne by citizens and society has become excessively large, and an appropriate balance point must be found."

Regarding the system improvement proposals received through the National Proposal website, it was mentioned, "The public has suggested various measures to improve the assembly and demonstration system to ensure public order and the tranquility of private life, including ▲strengthening noise control standards during assemblies and demonstrations ▲restricting assemblies and demonstrations that occupy roads or public transportation during commuting hours ▲restricting assemblies and demonstrations during late night and early morning hours ▲restricting assemblies and demonstrations near residential areas, schools, and hospitals ▲strengthening sanctions such as fines and penalties for illegal assemblies."

The debate also introduced public opinion for and against strengthening the requirements and sanctions for assemblies and demonstrations. The Presidential Office stated, "Those in favor of strengthening argue that our Constitution protects not only the freedom of assembly but also citizens' safety, tranquility of private life, right to health, environmental rights, and right to learn. However, current laws are skewed toward the former and fail to achieve balance. Furthermore, the time, place, and noise standards for assemblies and demonstrations are lax, and the sanctions are insufficient, necessitating improvement. This issue should be addressed by harmoniously improving laws and systems within the scope of the Constitution to balance conflicting legal interests."

Regarding the position that maintaining or relaxing current regulations is preferable, it was explained, "Assemblies and demonstrations are essential components in a democratic country for public opinion formation and expression of minority groups. Accordingly, our Constitution protects the freedom of assembly more robustly than other fundamental rights. Current laws already include regulations such as prior notification, noise standards, and restriction notices for assemblies and demonstrations. Some illegal or quasi-legal assemblies and demonstrations should be resolved through law enforcement, improvement of demonstration culture, and cooperation and dialogue among stakeholders."

The public participation debate is conducted on issues reviewed by the 'National Proposal Review Committee' as requiring public discussion, based on various system improvement proposals submitted through the Presidential Office’s National Proposal website, considering factors such as ▲practical relevance ▲public interest ▲timeliness. Anyone can participate through the National Proposal website. The first and second debates discussed the exemption from the fixed book price system and the method of collecting TV license fees, respectively.

The Presidential Office stated, "After the debate concludes, the opinions presented by the public will be reviewed and analyzed, and based on this, a recommendation will be prepared through discussions by the National Proposal Review Committee and delivered to the relevant ministries."