Police have drawn up comprehensive measures against "anti-China protests" ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's attendance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
According to the "status of hate protests and plans to strengthen management" submitted by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Yang Bu-nam to the Korean National Police Agency on the 28th, police reported this agenda to the National Police Commission on the 20th.
Police assessed that some groups began anti-China protests after the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration, claiming Chinese interference in the election. They also analyzed that protests are expanding from the area around Myeong-dong in Seoul, where the Chinese Embassy is located, to Daerim-dong, Gwanghwamun, and downtown areas in the provinces. While noting that no violent patterns such as property damage or occupation have appeared at rallies, they assessed that the protests are having negative effects across society, the economy, and diplomacy.
The Korean National Police Agency said, "With high expectations that President Xi's attendance at APEC will help with bilateral exchanges and resolving trade issues, the Chinese Embassy in Korea expressed concern over hate protests and continuously requested a response," adding, "Beyond the diplomatic issue of damaging Korea-China relations, there is a latent concern about tarnishing the national image. It could spread into 'anti-Korea protests' in China and lead to harm to the public." It added, regarding the visa-free entry for Chinese tourists that took effect on the 29th of last month, "There are concerns it will act as a drag on the tourism and domestic demand markets and cause damage to the national economy."
Police said they will mobilize all available means under current law to strengthen protest management. They will toughen evidence-gathering on illegal acts and promptly launch investigations upon receiving requests for investigation or complaints related to violations of the Assembly and Demonstration Act. In particular, if clear illegal acts occur, such as assaulting police officers or intruding into an embassy, they plan to proactively open investigations ex officio based on collected evidence. They will also actively pursue arrests and investigations for repeat offenders of illegal acts after establishing the charges.
They will also respond proactively to losses suffered by merchants due to anti-China protests. The principle will be to conduct arrest-first investigations for the use of dangerous objects and for incitement of collective obstruction of business. Police also launched the "task force (TF) to crack down on the spread of false information" on the 14th, with the Cyber Investigation Deliberation Officer (senior superintendent general) as Head of Team, establishing a real-time response system.
At the same time, police argued that, since there is no provision defining or prohibiting hate speech, a separate law should be enacted to enable a response. They also mentioned the need for measures regarding acts such as tearing foreign flags, including China's Five-star Red Flag. Under the current Criminal Act, it is possible to punish the damage of a "flag for official use," that is, a flag used by a state institution, but it is difficult to punish the tearing of a privately owned flag.