Korean Job Discussion Forums

[garykasparov]

Police Should Protect Civilians From Protesters

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has decided to levy a maximum W1 million fine on organizers of protest rallies who fail to clean up trash that results from their gatherings (US$1=W929). Until now, the district that has jurisdiction over the rally venue would mobilize sweepers to take care of the mess. In the end, taxpayers, who had to endure inconveniences due to protests, ended up paying for the clean up efforts that followed.
Trash is a problem, but what�s really unbearable is noise. Tens and hundreds of protesters using high-powered megaphones and amplifiers to shout out their slogans is sheer torture for office workers and residents. When protesters grow tired of shouting their slogans, they simply turn up the volume and rest while protest music blares. Some protesters blast funeral music for hours.

A rally or demonstration aims to publicize the opinion of a particular person or group. But citizens who are subject to �noise torture� end up developing a bad image of demonstrators. The demonstrators know this but are not interested in fixing the problem. They have no intention from the beginning to earn the support of the public. They are only interested in delivering the largest degree of pain to government offices and the public.

The Law on Public Gatherings and Demonstrations authorizes police to order a halt to the use of megaphones or even confiscate them if they cause damage to the public. But this law has become useless. Police have a responsibility to solemnly enforce the law and minimize the pain suffered by citizens. And protesters who repeatedly violate this law should be banned from gathering at all.

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200711/200711270024.html

[Juregen]

I guess Protesting is not part of the Freedom of Speech in the constitution of Korea.

That said, is Freedom of Speech in the Korean constitution anyway?

[newteacher]

[RACETRAITOR]

Protesters are civilians.