Large-scale street rallies planned for Saturday in central Seoul

Large-scale labor rallies are set to hit the streets in central Seoul on Saturday, with police planning traffic blockades and other controls to disperse them, officials said Friday.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and other progressive groups are scheduled to launch a series of outdoor rallies in downtown Seoul, renewing calls for enhanced labor rights.

According to advance declaration forms filed with the police, a total of 44 such rallies involving more than 8,000 people have been registered for Saturday.

Branding them as illegal rallies in violation of the anti-pandemic law, police are planning to mobilize various measures to block them. Subway trains and buses can be ordered to proceed without stopping at major rally sites near Gwanghwamun in central Seoul.

Police are also planning to operate temporary checkpoints to disperse the rallies.

"We urge citizens to use public transportation or comply with traffic police officers' hand signals when driving, as traffic inconveniences are predicted in major roads in central Seoul," a police official said. (Yonhap)