13 street demonstrations per day...Citizens' peaceful lives threatened by ”freedom of expression” - South Korean report

"We couldn't even open the windows in the summer. Why would they do this in a town where people live?" A mother and daughter living in Guro-gu, Seoul, said that they had been working at a local church since last summer.
"I am suffering because of the noise from the protests that have been taking place in front of the church for over a year," said a man in his 50s who owns a shop selling agricultural and marine products near the church.
"Sales drop on days when protests are held," said Lee Hyeong-don (not his real name), a shopkeeper at a restaurant in Seoul. He had no choice but to close one of the store's entrances because the narrow alleys were crowded with protesters.
The alley in front of his house is being threatened by rallies and demonstrations packaged under the pretext of "freedom of expression." In order to create an environment suitable for ordinary citizens to live in, the alley has been legally designated a "residential area."
Although there is a division between the two, these protests have infiltrated into the streets like an untouchable power. This means that freedom of expression is infringing on the right to pursue happiness, which includes enjoying a comfortable home.
The police, who are supposed to stop these protests, also lack a clear legal basis and are struggling to respond on the ground. Between January 1, 2023 and April 15 of this year, 56,000 protests were reported to the police in the Seoul area.
After analyzing 42 cases, we found that 6,109 cases (about 12%) were conducted in residential areas (exclusive, general, and semi-residential areas), which is 13 cases per day.
This figure excludes spaces that are considered relatively public, such as the rally in front of Sekimae, major businesses, parks, and subway station exits. In other words, rallies are always held in places where people live.
When the reported cases are divided by district, the characteristics of rallies in residential areas are clearly evident. In particular, in the case of Yongsan-gu, one-third (
The number of rallies (1,898 in total) was concentrated in residential areas. Although this figure does not include major institutions such as the presidential office, the reason why rallies were concentrated in Yongsan-gu is that it is where major business leaders and top executives live.
This is interpreted as being because it is a place to live. In fact, there are many in front of the house of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee JeYeon, as well as in front of high-end residential areas such as Nine One Hannam and The Hill in Hannam.
Demonstrations are taking place almost daily in Gangnam-gu (376 cases) and Seocho-gu (364 cases), with similar scenes in the alleys.
There were also 541 rallies held outside elementary, middle, and high schools, where students' right to learn should be guaranteed.
In this situation, experts argue that a concrete system is needed to ensure the right of peace and education for ordinary citizens.
In order to resolve this issue, seven bills were introduced to strengthen restrictions on gatherings in residential areas. However, these bills were all scrapped without even being discussed.
Power Party lawmaker Yoon Jae-ok criticized the move as an "abdication of National Assembly duties" and has made clear his intention to push for related legislation again in the 22nd National Assembly.