Merchants in Myeongdong Appeal Over Damages From "Anti-China Protests"... Request Police Ban on Rallies

"Concerns Over Potential Safety Accidents"

Merchants in Myeongdong, Seoul, plan to request a ban on rallies from the police, citing damages caused by the recent series of “anti-China protests.”

The Myeongdong Tourism Special Zone Council announced on September 11 that it would send an official letter to Namdaemun Police Station in the afternoon, requesting restrictions on protests in the backstreets of the Myeongdong area. The council consists of around 100 members, including merchants and building owners in Myeongdong.

The council argued that the violent nature of the anti-China protests poses a serious threat to public safety, which constitutes grounds for prohibition as stipulated in the “Act on Assembly and Demonstration” (the Assembly Act). Article 5 of the Assembly Act bans assemblies or demonstrations that clearly pose a direct threat to public order through mass violence, intimidation, property damage, arson, and similar acts. In addition, Article 12 of the same law stipulates that the chief of the relevant police station may restrict assemblies or demonstrations on major roads in city centers to ensure smooth traffic flow.

A view of Myeongdong Street in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The council pointed out, “During the protests, participants verbally abuse tourists from certain countries and create a sense of fear, thereby damaging the national reputation of Korea. When 200 to 500 members of a particular protest group pass through narrow, crowded streets at the same time, there is a risk of safety accidents.” The council also plans to collect and submit a petition signed by Myeongdong merchants to the police. If damages to merchants from the anti-China protests continue, they are also considering civil and criminal actions against the organizers.

Previously, in July, police had to intervene and separate participants after some protestors threatened merchants who were urging them to refrain from making hateful remarks. Lee Kangsu, the general manager of the Myeongdong Welfare Association, a group of store owners in Myeongdong, said, “When hundreds of people move around in groups and freely make hateful remarks, customers from Greater China leave their seats even after ordering food. The atmosphere changes instantly, and when we try to stop the hateful remarks, the protestors confront us, saying, ‘Who are you to interfere?’”

Meanwhile, President Lee Jaemyung, during a cabinet meeting on September 9, compared the anti-China protests to “disorderly conduct” rather than freedom of expression and called for effective countermeasures. The police are considering issuing a notice to the organizers prohibiting “acts that provoke conflict.”