Seoul City Demands People’s Council Pay Fees

The Seoul Metropolitan Government demanded the People’s Council for Countermeasures against Mad Cow Disease pay 12 million won for using Seoul Plaza in front of Seoul City Hall for a venue for demonstrations in protest over the resumption of U.S. beef imports.

The Seoul City government said Thursday that it requested the civic group to pay fees and indemnities six times since the early stage of the two-month-long protests.

An hourly fee for using Seoul Plaza is 10 won per square meter, and the fee increases 30 percent for nighttime use.

When it is used without permission, 20 percent of the fee is added as an indemnity.

Considering Seoul Plaza spans 13,207 square meters, an hourly fee for night use exceeds 150,000 won.

The council has used the plaza 40 times from May 14 to 15 and from May 29 through July 5. Seoul City said it never permitted the group to hold rallies at the plaza.

Accordingly, the civic group is obligated to pay the Seoul City government about 12 million won.

Choi Chang-je, general affairs manager at the city government, said, “The People’s Council for Countermeasures against Mad Cow Disease once promised to pay fees. Since we issued bills several times by dividing the total amount into a set of small bills, some payments are overdue. But we believe the civic group will pay off in good faith.”

To this, the civic group has not made its stance clear, saying, “We have yet to come to a conclusion on whether to pay the fee or not.”

yunjung@donga.com