Police Arrest 10 at 'Yoon Seok-yeol Resignation' Rally on Charges of Obstructing Official Duties

Police Assault and Refusal to Disperse Orders
Participation by KCTU and National People's Action
March on Sejong-daero from Sungnyemun to City Hall Station

During the '1st General Rally for the Resignation of the Yoon Seok-yeol Administration' held on the 9th, hosted by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and others, 10 participants who assaulted police officers or disobeyed dispersal orders were arrested by the police.

On the afternoon of the 9th, members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) shouted slogans at the 2024 National Workers' Rally and 1st Resignation General Protest held around Sungnyemun in Seoul, commemorating the spirit of Jeon Tae-il. Photo by Yonhap News.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on the day, these 10 individuals were arrested on the spot on charges of obstructing official duties. A police official stated, "The rally held by the KCTU in the downtown area turned into a serious illegal assembly by occupying all lanes of Sejong-daero and assaulting police officers, and we express strong regret over this. We will conduct a strict investigation, including applying for arrest warrants, against those caught on site for illegal acts such as assaulting police officers or disobeying dispersal orders."

The rally was organized by the Movement Headquarters for the Resignation of the Yoon Seok-yeol Administration, which includes the KCTU, the National People's Action, and the Progressive Student Network. It was held concurrently with the 'National Workers' Rally' that the KCTU holds annually around November 13, the anniversary of labor activist Jeon Tae-il's death. According to the organizers' estimate, about 100,000 people marched along Sejong-daero from Sungnyemun to City Hall Station starting at 4 p.m. that day.

It is reported that some participants, including union members trying to enter the site, clashed with the police, resulting in the arrest of some participants. The police plan to analyze all evidence of participants suspected of assaulting police officers or illegally occupying Sejong-daero, in addition to the 10 arrested, and investigate them. They also announced plans to take legal action against the rally organizers, including the KCTU chairman.