SEOUL– Tough restrictions on the size of outdoor rallies in Seoul will be loosened, starting in July, when eased social distancing rules against COVID-19 go into effect, authorities said Wednesday.
The Seoul city government said that the new guidelines set to take effect Thursday allow rallies of fewer than 50 people, lifting the current ban on rallies of 10 or more, which has been in place since last November.
The eased rules on outdoor rallies will be enforced throughout Seoul for two weeks, the government said.
It also announced a decision to lift the outright ban on outdoor rallies of any size in public squares in the city center, including Seoul Plaza, Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul Station Plaza and Cheonggye Plaza. The ban has been in effect since February last year.
In line with the rising vaccination rate, South Korea is to simplify its COVID-19 risk alert system from July and implement eased social distancing rules focused on raising the cap on private gatherings and rallies and loosening operational restrictions for restaurants and nightlife venues.
Despite the eased regulations, however, all participants in Seoul rallies of fewer than 50 must follow seven quarantine rules, such as temperature checks, writing logs, mask wearing and keeping a distance of at least 2 meters, the city government said, adding violators will be fined less than 3 million won (US$2,660).
The ban on outdoor rallies of 10 or more first took effect in Seoul on Aug. 21, 2020. Then, the municipality briefly eased the rules in early October to permit rallies of fewer than 100 but returned to the 10-person cap on Nov. 24 amid a spike in new coronavirus cases.
Civic and labor activists have frequently criticized Seoul’s ban on rallies of 10 or more for excessively infringing on the freedom of assembly and demonstration.
Source: Yonhap News Agency