The National Police Agency Ruling by “The Law and Principle”

The National Police Agency said it would treat anti-impeachment candlelight meetings after sunset with strict law and principle on Thursday.

On the same afternoon, it also reconfirmed during the meeting for public security which invited those from the police, the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, the Ministry of Labor, and the National Election Commission at the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office that “the current candlelight rallies are being held without advanced notice after sunset and those are not considered as cultural events which are exemptions from declaration.”

One officer from the National Police Agency explained, “On the analysis so far, it is hard to regard a candlelight gathering as an illegal pre-election campaigning even though it is also not a cultural event because of its political propensity.”

The National Police Agency emphasized that it is planning to take judicial action against the related people including the sponsor, active accomplices, and violators during the meeting through collecting evidence.

However, it showed a lukewarm attitude toward withholding blockade saying that “a forced break-up can cause the situation to worsen, so the police will control gatherings by condition.”

The National Police Agency considered the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions’ announcement that it is planning to refuse overtime work every Wednesday for anti-impeachment as an obstruction of justice.

Tae-Hoon Lee jefflee@donga.com