Roh Ordered Review about Revision of Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations

The government has decided to seek a revision of the law on rallies and demonstrations, which guarantees freedom of demonstrations to a large extent in order to deal sternly with more and more violent protests. Recently, the Buan county chief was rushed to the hospital after he was seriously injured by protestors.

President Roh Moo-hyun told a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that he would exercise his authority and responsibility as president so that people can live safely. He also gave orders that the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs and the Ministry of Legislation should closely examine the current law on meetings and demonstrations for any side effect and see if there are any preventive measures against violent, illegal protests.

Regarding this issue, Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Moon Jae-in said, "In the past, military authoritarian governments did not guarantee freedom of assembly and protest. In reaction to the dictatorship, however, now the freedom is given excessively, thereby undermining social order. We will allow assemblies and demonstrations to the extent that they do not do damage to the public."

The senior secretary said that the law on meetings and demonstrations would be revised to prevent violent protests; to prevent assemblies where protests take place so often; to inflict criminal punishments on protestors if they do not follow police`s instructions to maintain order; and to restrict assemblies and protests when damage to residents, such as noises, are expected.

Kim Doo-kwan, Government Administration and Home Affairs minister, and Choi Ki-moon, the National Police Agency chief, arrived in Buan country, North Jeolla province, to grasp the situation and visited Kim Jong-gyu, Buan County chief at Chonbuk University Hospital in Jeonju Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, police began on that day to round up those who assaulted the county chief and decided to inflict criminal punishments on all those who participated in the assault. Police took five people who have led protests against the government`s plan to build a nuclear waste dump on Wido, an islet off Buan county, for inquiry and asked Buan Church for cooperation in arresting other five people for whom arrest warrants were already issued.

An additional 4,000 riot police troops were dispatched to Buan county to crack down on possible violent protests.