Seoul city recently stated on the 7th that regarding the rallies taking place in the Hannam-dong area, where President Yoon Suk-yeol's official residence is located, following the issuance of an arrest warrant for President Yoon, "if traffic obstruction continues, we will file a charge with investigating agencies against the related organizations."
On this day, the city issued a press release stating that "the situation where city safety is of grave concern, as well as the traffic congestion, is becoming prolonged," and noted, "we plan to take measures by utilizing all available options at our disposal."
The city reported that on the previous day, the 6th, a document was sent to the Seoul Yongsan Police Station, the enforcement authority. The document contained demands for strict compliance with the rally time and active measures against actions such as overnight protests and full road occupations that exceed the initially reported scope.
Currently, some groups participating in rallies related to President Yoon are holding overnight protests and are occupying the entire road in the Hannam-ro area. As a result, it has become difficult to use not only the roads for cars but also the bus stops. Students attending nearby schools also reportedly feel uneasy.
The city stated, "We have required both enforcement and strict punishment for illegal acts that obstruct the flow of traffic for citizens," adding that "road occupations are unlawful acts that can constitute the crime of general traffic obstruction and need to be addressed to eliminate inconvenience to citizen passage according to the relevant laws."
A Seoul city official noted, "Severe difficulties in the daily commute and activities of Seoul citizens are ongoing due to the obstruction of traffic flow," requesting once more, "We urgently ask relevant agencies for active measures to ensure that ordinary citizens no longer suffer from traffic inconveniences."