Downtown Rally Planned to Defend National Security Law Today

As 200,000 members of 300 conservative organizations and religious groups, including the Korea Freedom League, the Korea Veterans Association, and the Korea Disabled Veterans Association, plan to hold a “Citizen’s Rally for the National Security Law” today at Seoul Plaza in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Government building, police are bent on dealing with it.

The “Anti-Nuke and Anti-Kim Committee,” consisting of conservative organizations said yesterday that “a maximum of 400,000 people, including citizens and its 200,000 members, would gather at the two hour rally from 5 p.m. on Monday.” The police, however, expect 40,000 at the most.

Today’s rally will be the biggest since the “Anti-Nuke and Anti-Kim Citizens Rally” in March last year. Many of the seniors, who signed the “National Emergency Declaration Regarding the National Security Law Abolition,” in September, are known to be planning to participate in this rally again.

The committee asked for permission to march through Sejongno, Gwanghwamun, and Daehangno after the rally is over, but the police, who are worried about a possible advance to the Cheong Wa Dae building, did not permit the march.

Since the police obtained secret information that an attacking force, consisting of former South Korean spies detached to North Korea and marines, would advance to Cheong Wa Dae, it prepared water cannon trucks and are taking all measures to deal with possible disturbances.

A police official said, “There is also the possibility that some overly excited conservative group members may commit self-harming acts, so we plan to have emergency medical help ready.”

Meanwhile, the Christian Council of Korea (CCK) plans to hold a “Save-the-Nation Prayer Meeting” today starting from 3:30 p.m. at the same place. Upwards of 60,000 people are supposed to participate in this prayer event.

The CCK said, “KBS distorted the protestant spirit in a program it aired last Saturday night and therefore, we will launch a campaign not to watch KBS as well as a petition drive against the government’s Private School Act revision. We will also join the conservative groups’ rally for National Security Law defense.”

The police expect a minimum 100,000 crowd will be gathered at these two events, and has a plan to deploy 7,000 police officers from 68 companies.

Soo-Jung Shin needjung@donga.com crystal@donga.com