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Korea Herald
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Traffic control, 6,500 police slated for president's belated inauguration in Seoul
South Korean police will mobilize some 6,500 officers across Seoul on Friday, as thousands are expected to attend President Lee Jae Myung's inauguration and Liberation Day ceremonies around Gwanghwamun Square. Around 102 units of the local SWAT teams will be dispatched as a precaution against protests expected to be held across the nation's capital. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has enacted partial traffic controls in the surrounding areas since Tuesday. Two lanes on both sides of the road from the rotary in front of Gyeongbokgung to the intersection at the south end of Gwanghwamun Square will be closed off until 8 p.m. Saturday. The inauguration ceremony will be held at 8 p.m. Friday as the highlight of the commemoration slated to start around 10 a.m. All lanes from the Sejong-daero intersection to City Hall Square will be under police control from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, and the traffic control of the area around Gwanghwamun Square will be implemented until 8 p.m. on Saturday. The police recommended that the public use the subway when passing through the areas. Traffic will also be controlled in parts of Yeouido from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, including on Wonhyo Bridge heading north and Hangang Bridge heading south. Officials advised residents to seek alternate routes when passing through these areas. For real-time information on the roads under traffic control, check the homepage of the Seoul Transport Operation and Information Service. Officials on alert to prevent disturbance The measures are implemented to prevent possible disruptions to the ceremonies, as some 70 rallies have been reported to the authorities to be held near Gwanghwamun on Friday. Among them is a rally of some 10,000 participants hosted by controversial far-right pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon at Seoul Station — a little over 3 kilometers from Gwanghwamun Square. Though it is scheduled to conclude before the inauguration, concerns have been raised that some participants may cause disturbances. Jeon is among the vocal opponents of the liberal President Lee, and is currently under investigation for instigating a January attack by disgraced former leader Yoon Suk Yeol's supporters on a Seoul court. Supporters on the liberal side have also reported holding protests around the time of the inauguration ceremony. Police officials told local media outlets that SWAT members from other regions, such as Gyeonggi Province, will be mobilized for security during the ceremonies. The roofs of the high-rise buildings around Gwanghwamun will be sealed off Friday, and officials will be on the lookout for any unauthorized drones flying around the area.
Korea Herald
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Who is controversial far-right pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon?
Far-right pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon has been pointed out as the possible mastermind behind the mob attack on Seoul Western District Court on Jan. 19 following the court's decision to issue an arrest warrant for suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol. Out of the 99 individuals apprehended by the police over the attack, two of them were described as a 'special missionary' of Jeon's Sarang Jeil Church, further adding to the controversy swirling around Jeon. In response to the allegations, Jeon held a press conference on Wednesday, where he claimed he 'had nothing to do with the violence" and those who were rallying in front of the court at the time inciting violence. 'I've held rallies at Gwanghwamun for the past seven years and not a single violent incident occurred once,' said Jeon during Wednesday's press conference. 'I've consistently emphasized not to clash with the police or commit violence during rallies in the past and on the day of the attack when I was delivering my speech. I wasn't even present at Seoul Western District Court when the attack occurred.' Jeon, a far-right pastor who has actively led pro-Yoon protests and has been one of the most vocal advocates of the suspended president since the Dec. 3 martial law debacle. He has consistently been involved in several controversies for his far-right political views and comments made related to Christianity, claiming them to be revelations of God. These comments include: 'South Korea will perish. South Korea will disappear from the global community when the Moon Jae-in administration ends;' 'South Korea will center around Jeon Kwang-hoon for the next 10 years;' and 'There will remain nothing in 100 years except for Jeon Kwang-hoon's words.' At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jeon was criticized for violating various social distancing measures in place at the time, as he went ahead and conducted in-person worship services and large-scale rallies. Jeon, who once served as president of the Christian Council of Korea, was expelled from the evangelical alliance based on 15 complaints against his speeches and behavior and was labeled a pseudo-religious figure by the CCK's committee on pseudo-religions. Jeon also drew further controversy following Yoon's martial law decree on Dec. 4, as he stated that Yoon's declaration of martial law was 'a gift from God to the Korean church.' On Thursday, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea announced that it has reported Jeon to the police under allegations of 'propagating unconstitutional and illegal acts of insurrection and inciting the public to commit disorder.' During Thursday's press conference, the party stated that Jeon 'consistently justified Yoon's insurrectionary acts' and 'advocated for the martial law decree with false statements.' Meanwhile, the police investigating the mob violence at Seoul Western District Court have booked Jeon as a suspect, though it is unclear as to whether Jeon had been summoned yet for questioning.
