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On Dec. 2

The Civil Society Organizations Network in Korea - which represents around 500 organizations including People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement, and Korean Women’s Association United - provided the police with plans to hold a demonstration and a march at Seoul Plaza on Dec. 5.

These groups are stepping up to defend the freedom to assemble and demonstrate, after the police banned the Korea Farmers’ League from holding a second large rally.

On Dec. 2, civic groups, religious figures, and lawmakers from the National Assembly held a joint press conference at the Franciscan Education Center in central Seoul in support of holding a peaceful nationwide rally on Dec. 5. “With the government banning rallies not only by the Korea Farmers’ League but also by the Pan-National Countermeasures Committee for the Recovery of the Farmer and Worker for Life and Peace Baek Nam-gi and the Denunciation of State Violence, civic groups have submitted a petition for an assembly in the name of this network in order to play a more active role,” said Yeom Hyeong-cheol, chair of the network’s operating committee during the press conference.

On Dec. 1, the group submitted its plans for the assembly to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Dec. 1, using the name of “nationwide assembly” rather than the “second popular rally” in a bid to motivate more people to join. The group expects that about 5,000 people will participate in the protest and march.

The network did not participate in the first popular rally on Nov. 14.

The police believe that the network’s demonstration would be similar to one planned by the Korea Farmers’ League, which the police have forbidden because of “the possibility of illegality and violence” (Article 5 of the Assembly and Demonstration Act). But given that the organizers of this demonstration are different, the police are carefully reviewing whether to let it go forward.

“We’re considering whether this is connected with the demonstration on Nov. 14. We’re also looking into whether this would fall under the restrictions in Article 12 of the Assembly and Demonstration Act, which deals with interrupting the flow of traffic,” said Kim Yang-su, head of the Seoul police agency’s data management department.

Given that civic groups - which have called for a “peaceful protest” - are planning to take the lead in this demonstration, it is becoming more likely that the nationwide assembly scheduled for Dec. 5 will look different from the one last month, in which there were sharp clashes between the police and some of the protestors.

“We will take advantage of every means of organizing a peaceful demonstration, including carrying flowers and forming a ‘chain of peace.’ We will not allow anyone to prevent this, whether they are protesters or police,” said Kwon Tae-seon, who is co-chair of the network and co-president of the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement.

The network is reportedly looking into peaceful ways for farmers to communicate their ideas to the public, such as by sharing food or writing letters to the riot police.

The network plans to discuss specific strategies with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Korean Farmers‘ Alliance, which have already agreed to hold peaceful protests.

There is also a growing movement among religious figures to organize a peaceful protest. On Wednesday morning, representatives from a number of religious groups - including Buddhism, Christianity, the Anglican Church, Won Buddhism, and Cheondoism - held a meeting at which they agreed to join the Jogye Order of Buddhism’s Committee for Religious Dialogue in making “gardens for peace.”

“We haven’t got an answer back yet, but since this is a question of peace, we also asked more conservative religious groups to take part,” said a member of the committee.

By Bang Jun-ho and Park Tae-woo, staff reporters

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