Seoul City to take action against far-right party for erecting tents

Members and supporters of the Our Republican Party form scrummage to resist Seoul City's effort to remove tents set up at Gwanghwamun Square in centrall Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap

By Kim Jae-heun

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday it will take stern action against the far-right minor opposition Our Republican Party for setting up tents at Gwanghwamun Square, Tuesday, only five hours after the city had removed previous ones raised there.

Mobilizing 500 municipal officials and 400 hired workers, the city government tore down two tents and a canopy installed by party members who were demonstrating for the release of imprisoned former President Park Geun-hye. It removed the tents, saying they were illegally installed in the public space without official permission.

However, the far-right party members returned to Gwanghwamun and set up 10 tents.

The local government delivered its last order to the party to remove the tents voluntarily or it will again remove them. Regarding the tents set up May 10, it sent three warnings before dispatching workers to remove them.

“There is no rule that warnings should be sent three times and we don't have a reason to do so, either,” a city official said. “We need to remove them swiftly before the rainy season and hot weather start.”

Both Seoul City and the Our Republican Party said they will take legal action against each other.

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said the Our Republican Party's tents are proof of its violence, as the party members' violent resistance to the first removal constituted interference in public duty resulting in injuries. He said the city would file criminal complaints against all party members and supporters who took part in the violence.

Park said he would ask a court to seize the salary of Rep. Cho Won-jin, head of the far-right party, to cover the expenses of removing the tents, about 200 million won, as well as money to cover the fine the party has to pay for illegally occupying the space in Gwanghwamun Square.

Cho said 12 party members had medical certificates issued due to injuries they sustained during Tuesday's clash, adding about 40 more will follow suit. He said they would sue the city government for the violence it used while removing their tents.