Rival rallies march through Seoul after arrest of aide to DP chief

Social Affairs

Published: 23 Oct. 2022, 18:36 Updated: 24 Oct. 2022, 13:05

Rival rallies march through Seoul after arrest of aide to DP chief

Members of conservative civic groups protest against the Democratic Party and former Moon Jae-in government on Saturday in Jung District, central Seoul. [NEWS1]

Tens of thousands of protesters from both sides of the political aisle marched through central Seoul on Saturday, venting their frustration over a range of issues involving the former and current administrations.

Liberal protesters mostly called for conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol to step down and cease his “political revenge” against the Democratic Party (DP) and former left-leaning Moon Jae-in government.

They also demanded a special probe on first lady Kim Keon-hee for allegedly forging her credentials to land teaching jobs at universities.

Conservative protesters, on the other hand, called on prosecutors to detain DP Chairman Lee Jae-myung for allegedly taking bribes to fund his failed 2022 presidential campaign and insisted that Moon should take responsibility for North Korea’s killing of a South Korean fisheries official in 2020.

No direct clashes between protesters were reported.

Members of liberal civic groups protest against the Yoon Suk-yeol administration in Jung District on Saturday. [NEWS1]

The rallies came as Korea counted 26,256 new Covid-19 patients that day, which was 4,800 more than a week before. Daily cases over the past several days have all risen compared to the previous week, a grim reminder that the Covid pandemic is not over.

Over the past week, an average of 25,291 people have tested positive for coronavirus every day.

Health experts warn that Korea might enter its next Covid wave from November through the end of the year.

The first major rally was held near the Dongwha Duty Free Shop building in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, organized by far-right civic groups including the Liberty Unification Party. The group is led by Rev. Jun Kwang-hoon, known for holding antigovernment rallies in mid-2020 against then-President Moon in defiance of government social distancing restrictions.

The rallies were blamed for driving up coronavirus cases at the time.

At 4 p.m. the same day, two separate rallies commenced, one siding with the DP and the other siding with the Yoon government.

Some 2,500 members of conservative civic groups gathered near Samgakji Station in Yongsan District, central Seoul, close to Yoon’s presidential office, urging prosecutors to probe all irregularities in the former Moon administration.

Around the same time, thousands of others affiliated with liberal civic groups gathered near Namdaemun Gate in Jung District, central Seoul, and started marching toward Yoon’s office at 6:50 p.m. The protesters dispersed about an hour later in Namyeong-dong, Yongsan, so as not to clash with the conservative civic group members protesting nearby.

Among the liberal protesters were DP lawmakers Kim Yong-min and Hwang Un-ha.

Police installed fences around the downtown area on Saturday to prevent possible clashes.

Neither Yoon nor his office made any public remarks about the rallies.

Political tension flared up last week after prosecutors arrested a close aide to DP Chairman Lee, who lost to Yoon in the March presidential election by the smallest margin in Korean history, and accused Lee of receiving kickbacks to fund his presidential campaign.

Both Lee and his aide denied taking any bribes and slammed the Yoon government for trying to get back at the liberals to divert public attention from its own problems and sinking approval ratings.

BY LEE SUNG-EUN [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]