{"id":2201797,"date":"2023-07-26T19:19:19","date_gmt":"2023-07-26T10:19:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2201797"},"modified":"2023-07-27T17:01:46","modified_gmt":"2023-07-27T08:01:46","slug":"south-koreas-plan-to-curb-protests-set-to-face-fierce-backlash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/07\/south-koreas-plan-to-curb-protests-set-to-face-fierce-backlash\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korea\u2019s plan to curb protests set to face fierce backlash"},"content":{"rendered":"
In a move likely to stir controversy, the South Korean government has <\/span>proposed<\/span><\/a> revisions to existing laws governing protests and demonstrations. The announcement came from Kang Seung-kyu, the senior secretary for civil society, in a media briefing on Wednesday. According to Kang, the government sees these changes as a necessary response to public <\/span>complaints<\/span><\/a> in an online \u201cdebate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The proposed changes are set to face fierce opposition. Political opponents and civic groups, in particular, are expected to push back against the revisions. Central to the resistance are two major groups: the disabled community and labor unions.<\/span><\/p>\n Both groups have been active in public protests, voicing their specific concerns and demands. For the disabled community, public demonstrations have been a tool to <\/span>demand<\/span><\/a> better access to public transportation. The proposed amendments could impede their ability to protest, thus stifling a crucial avenue for expressing their grievances.<\/span><\/p>\n Similarly, labor unions, a bastion of numerous loud protests against the government, sometimes <\/span>extending into the night<\/span><\/a>, are also likely to be severely impacted by the proposed changes. A significant concern is that the changes could curtail the right to protest, which is fundamental to their cause.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Further, these proposed revisions raise legal concerns. Article three of the <\/span>Assembly and Demonstration Act<\/span><\/a> mandates that \u201cno one shall interfere with a peaceful assembly or demonstration or disrupt its order by means of violence or threat or by any other means.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n As the South Korean government slowly steers ahead with the proposed changes, it walks a fine line between maintaining public order and preserving democratic rights. The ultimate reaction from opposition parties, civic groups and the broader public could set the stage for a significant debate on the limits of the right to protest and the role of dissent in a democratic society.<\/span><\/p>\n PROPOSED CHANGES<\/b><\/p>\n The South Korean government has proposed a series of amendments intended to curb disruption caused by public protests. The proposed changes span a broad spectrum, from tighter restrictions on protests during peak commuting hours to harsher penalties for breaches of protest-related regulations. The plans also contemplate expanding areas classified as \u201coff-limits\u201d to encompass major roads and residential neighborhoods.<\/span><\/p>\n The government cited online <\/span>discussions<\/span><\/a> held over three weeks from June 13 to July 3 as the basis for these changes. According to the official narrative, around 82% of the 130,000 posts within these forums called for enhanced regulations on rallies and demonstrations, ostensibly to safeguard daily life and uphold public order.<\/span><\/p>\n Nevertheless, the validity of such online forums as a reflection of public sentiment is questionable. The approach hardly equates to a scientific survey or a public vote, suggesting that the government may be selectively amplifying views that align with its stance while sidelining dissenting voices.<\/span><\/p>\n For instance, one user wrote on the \u201cdebate\u201d page\u2019s comments section, \u201cThere is no good reason for us to live together with those who do not recommend addressing the country\u2019s flawed protest culture! To those who take orders from the North and praise it, if you like it so much, move to North Korea!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Another user wrote \u201cKCTU game over,\u201d referring to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, an umbrella labor organization. The KCTU <\/span>launched<\/span><\/a> a two-week general strike at the beginning of July, and the union estimated that more than 400,000 of its 1.2 million members joined the strike.<\/span><\/p>\n As such, a number of people who believe the government should restrict protests may be voicing their views about those they see as their political opponents rather than about the right to protest itself.<\/span><\/p>\n However, a government spokesperson defended the process, asserting that since participants freely expressed their views, the government did not \u201cadd or subtract\u201d from the posts or their findings.<\/span><\/p>\n