Large-scale rallies drawing tens of thousands of participants are set for Saturday along Sejong-daero in central Seoul, with major road closures expected throughout the day. Residents heading into the city over the Liberation Day holiday weekend should check traffic conditions in advance.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, the conservative group Jayu Tongil Party will hold a rally from 1 p.m. Saturday along the stretch between Sejong-daero Intersection and Seoul City Hall. Participants plan to march from the rally site at 4 p.m., passing through Gyeongbokgung Station and continuing toward Cheong Wa Dae. During that period, two-way traffic between the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency building and the Salvation Army intersection will be restricted.
Also at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, the KCTU and progressive groups will hold a rally in the Yulgok-ro and Sajik-ro area. Starting at 2:30 p.m., marchers will set off from Anguk Intersection, pass through Jonggak Intersection and Euljiro 1-ga Station Intersection, and proceed to Seoul Plaza. The KCTU will hold a separate rally at Seoul Plaza from 4 p.m. During the march, two-way traffic between Euljiro 1-ga Station and City Hall Intersection will be disrupted.
Several conservative groups, including Jayu Daehak Hogukdan, will hold a civic suffrage rally near Olympic Park in Songpa-gu. The groups have announced plans to march after the rally, and traffic congestion in the surrounding area is expected.
Seoul police plan to deploy about 218 traffic officers along rally routes to manage vehicle diversions and traffic flow. A police official urged the public to use the subway where possible and, if driving is unavoidable, to check traffic information ahead of time.
Detailed traffic conditions, including rally times and locations, are available through the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's traffic information hotline (02-700-5000), the Seoul Traffic Information Center website (www.spatic.go.kr), and the KakaoTalk channel "Seoul Police Traffic Information."
nyang@heraldcorp.com
