 |
| Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions rally in central Seoul, May 16, demanding the government improve labor conditions for the country's workers. Korea Times file |
By Ko Dong-hwan
One of the nation's two main umbrella unions plans to hold another massive rally on Wednesday, about two weeks after its previous large-scale overnight protest caused considerable public inconvenience.
However, police say they won't be as forgiving this time, pledging a stern response to any illegal activities by the protesters, raising concerns over a possible clash between the two sides.
Some 20,000 members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) are scheduled to take to Sejong-daero, a main thoroughfare of downtown Seoul, Wednesday, according to police, Monday. It is the same place they staged the previous rally on May 16 to 17. This latest rally will start at 4 p.m., which is feared to unavoidably cause severe traffic jams on surrounding streets during the evening rush hour.
The labor union said the scheduled rally is a "warning" against what it called harsh working conditions which have been pushed by the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. Some 10,000 members of the Korean Construction Workers' Union and 3,000 members of the Korean Metal Workers' Union, both of which are under the KCTU, will join together at Sejong-daero after holding separate rallies in front of the presidential office and Seodaemun Police Station, respectively.
The large number of demonstrators, the locations of the rallies and the schedules of the protests, all combined, are bringing concerns over major traffic disruptions and potential physical clashes with the police.
During and after the previous overnight street rally earlier this month, which organizers called a "cultural event," the union faced plenty of public complaints due to protesters occupying streets and roads, hampering pedestrians and vehicles alike. Some protesters also slept in the streets and in public squares. The police's attempts to deter them were of no use due to the huge number of protesters who came from all over the country to show their solidarity for workers.
 |
| Korean National Police Agency Commissioner General Yoon Hee-keun, right, presides over a meeting with chiefs of local police authorities from across the country at the agency's headquarters in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Korean National Police Agency |
The police are now bracing for the upcoming rally, after facing strong criticism from the central government and the ruling People Power Party for failing to strictly deal with the illegal activities of some protesters during the previous demonstration.
In response, Korean National Police Agency Commissioner General Yoon Hee-keun said his force will take immediate action whenever protesters occupy all lanes of a road blocking traffic or when they rally outside of the allocated areas approved in advance.
He also said those attempting to physically confront police will be "taken down" at the scene, warning that the law enforcement agency is even ready to use pepper spray via water cannons against the protesters.
He also sent letters to police forces nationwide reminding them to deal more sternly with any illegal activities during the upcoming rally.
The police's planned strong response comes after the presidential office and the ruling party condemned the KCTU. President Yoon affirmed during a Cabinet meeting, May 23, his intention to show no mercy to any illegal activities by protesters.
PPP Chairman Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon also posted on Facebook, Monday, that the protesters abused their rights to rally by violating the basic rights of other citizens and urged the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea to stop siding with the protesters.
PPP spokesperson Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok said in a statement that drinking in public, occupying public spaces and public urination are "not sound nighttime culture," referring to the expression used by the KTCU to argue its previous rally was free of any illegal activities.
The police plan to summon three KTCU leaders on Thursday for questioning regarding the previous rally.
![[INTERVIEW] 'Now is time for Koreans to unlock potential in Africa'](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/9236a17d88ea472b862b237c9788069d.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Meet the man behind giant rubber ducks that once took over Seoul](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/df32c60c8204448e98ccdb9841366bec.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
