Bill to ban protests near presidential office passes committee, drawing backlash

A bill that would expand no-protest zones to include the presidential office has cleared a key parliamentary committee, triggering backlash from minor parties and civic groups who say it rolls back fundamental freedoms. The National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee on Thursday approved amendments to the Assembly and Demonstration Act that would ban outdoor rallies and protests within 100 meters of the presidential office. The current law already prohibits such gatherings within 100 meters of the presidential residence, the speaker of the National Assembly’s residence, the chief justice’s residence and the Constitutional Court president’s residence. If passed by the plenary, the revision would effectively bar protests near both the current Yongsan presidential office and the office that will reopen at Cheong Wa Dae. The change is meant to address what ruling bloc lawmakers have called a "legal blind spot" created when the presidential office was moved to Yongsan under the former Yoon Suk Yeol administration, separating the office and residence and complicatiWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times