South Korea Acting President Issues Urgent Directive: "Exercise Special Caution Against Violent Protests... Strict Response to Illegal Activities"

Prime Minister and Acting President Han Duck-soo issued an urgent directive on the 24th to relevant ministries to respond strictly to recent illegal protests near the Constitutional Court.

Immediately after returning to work that morning, Acting President Han emphasized, "The government will do its utmost to ensure that the public does not feel uneasy amid this serious situation," and the Prime Minister's Office announced that he issued an emergency directive for maintaining security, public order, and disaster management.

Acting President Han requested the Acting Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Acting Commissioner of the National Police Agency to "pay special attention to maintaining social order, including managing assemblies, protecting key personnel, and safety measures for large gatherings, to prevent disasters caused by violent protests, and to respond strictly to all related illegal activities."

Regarding security matters, he instructed the Acting Minister of National Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to "strengthen the alert posture of the entire military to unwaveringly protect the lives and security of the people."

To the Minister of Foreign Affairs, he directed, "Amid uncertain international circumstances, do your best to solidify Korea-US cooperation and alliances with friendly countries, and to inform the international community that our government's foreign policy stance remains unchanged."

Concerning wildfires occurring across the country, he instructed relevant ministries such as the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to "mobilize all available personnel and resources to fully focus on extinguishing the fires and to do their utmost in safety management, including evacuating nearby residents and controlling hikers."

The government plans to hold a meeting of State Council members chaired by Acting President Han in the afternoon to review urgent issues in the fields of economy, society, and security.