Merchants in Myeong-dong, Jung District, Seoul, asked police to ban protests with an anti-China bent. The main reason is the risk of a crowd crush as protesters march through Myeong-dong's alleys. They also took issue with protesters hurling abusive language at Chinese tourists.
The Myeong-dong Special Tourist Zone Council (hereinafter the "council") sent an official letter on the 11th to Namdaemun Police Station in Seoul titled "Request to restrict protests on back roads in the Myeong-dong Special Tourist Zone that threaten citizens' safety."
In Myeong-dong, rallies with an anti-China bent have continued since Jan. 31. More than 30 rallies have been held so far. Since June, "Freedom University" has held events every Tuesday evening, and since 4th, "Mincho Gyeolsadae" has been holding a "Myeong-dong anti-communist march" every Friday evening.
In the letter, the council said, "Myeong-dong is a representative tourist destination in Korea that 85.9% of foreign tourists to Seoul visit, and at night, 180 street stalls are set up on narrow back roads, making it extremely crowded."
It continued, "There are concerns about crowd safety accidents as 200 to 500 protesters pass simultaneously through the narrow back roads where crowds are concentrated."
Regarding the protesters, the council said, "They direct abusive language and picket protests at tourists from specific countries, creating fear among tourists visiting Myeong-dong," adding, "It tarnishes the image of the Republic of Korea and lowers the nation's stature."
The council then asked police to restrict Freedom University and Mincho Gyeolsadae from holding protests on Myeong-dong's back roads under the Assembly and Demonstration Act. The act bans "assemblies or demonstrations that pose a direct threat to public peace and order through group violence, intimidation, property damage, arson, etc." It also allows a police chief to restrict assemblies to ensure traffic flow on major downtown roads.
The anti-China protests taking place in Myeong-dong recently drew controversy after President Lee Jae-myung mentioned them. In a Cabinet meeting on the 9th, Lee said of the protests, "How is that freedom of expression? It's a rampage." He also said, "(Myeong-dong merchants) are trying to make a living by selling to tourists, but protesters cause a complete rampage—insulting, cursing, and driving them away. If you drive away customers, isn't that obstruction of business?" He added, "We need to increase the number of tourists, but they are holding rallies that insult tourists from a specific country."