The National Police Agency Commissioner General Kang Sin-myeong, said Monday that a public gathering held Saturday in central Seoul was not a “cultural event” as stated by the organizers but should be categorized as an “unreported rally.” He also said that those who coordinated the gathering could face arrest and prosecution.
Gang said the two leaders of the organizers violated the Law on Assembly and Demonstration. The gathering was led by Kim Young-ho, the leader of Korea Peasants League, and Kim Jeong-yeol, secretary general of the Korean Women Peasants Association.
The police said that those who participated in the gathering chanted slogans and distributed fliers, actions that are only permitted during an official demonstration and was therefore required to be reported in advance to police. The organizers previously stated that they would gather in Gwangwhamun Square to hold a cultural event and obtained permission to do this from the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
“We did not order the group to disperse during the rally, but it was a clear violation of the law, deserving adequate punishment,” Kang said.
The gathering on Saturday by workers and labor union members was the third held in two months. It was the smallest in terms of the total number of people who attended and the most peaceful.
The protesters condemned the prosecution which is considering whether to indict Han Sang-gyun, the leader of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, on a charge of sedition along with nine other offenses including organizing unapproved rallies. Under the law, Han can be detained for 30 days before a decision is made on what charges he will be indicted on. He led the first protests in Seoul, and evaded the police after an arrest warrant was issued. He took refuge at Jogye Temple, but later turned himself in to the authorities.