Park Seok-woon, the leader of the Korean Progressive Alliance and chair of the Prime Minister's Social Reform Committee, has been fined 1 million won for violating COVID-19 regulations during a gathering in Gwanghwamun in 2021.
According to legal sources on November 10, the Supreme Court's second division, led by Justice Kwon Young-jun, upheld the lower court's ruling that sentenced Park to the fine for violating the Infectious Disease Control Act.
Park was prosecuted for participating in a rally criticizing government real estate policies on the sidewalk in front of Gwanghwamun in September 2021.
Seoul City had prohibited gatherings across the city from July 12 to October 4, 2021, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Despite this, about 30 participants held signs and stood approximately 7 to 8 meters apart for about one hour.
During the trial, Park's defense argued that since participants were holding signs individually while maintaining distance, it should not be classified as a prohibited gathering but rather as individual protests. They also claimed that the city's ban on gatherings was illegal, but these arguments were rejected.
The first trial court found that the event constituted a gathering of multiple individuals expressing a common opinion at a specific location, thus confirming Park's guilt and imposing the 1 million won fine.
The appellate court also dismissed Park's appeal, noting that the event took place in a busy area of Gwanghwamun and was promoted in a way that allowed for public participation. However, it observed that basic infection prevention measures, such as maintaining a participant list and providing hand sanitizer, were not adequately implemented.
The Supreme Court also found no legal errors in the lower court's ruling and upheld the fine.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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