When plans for a mass rally on 14 November were announced, the government declared it was illegal and issued stern warnings against taking part. The rally was called to protest against the controversial labour market reforms, the state-authored history textbooks, the falling price of rice, and youth unemployment. “We will track down and bring to justice those who incite illegal protests and engage in violent acts,” said Justice Minister Kim Hyun-woong.
When the rally went ahead, with an estimated 100,000 participants, the authorities’ responded with tear gas and water cannon. They also set up a police bus blockade to prevent protesters marching to the president’s office, even though the use of police buses as a barricade was ruled illegal by the Constitutional Court in 2011. The police made 51 arrests and the KCTU estimated that some 500 people had been injured as a result of what it described as excessive police violence. Twenty-nine people required hospital treatment. The police said it had mobilised about 22,000 police officers, 700 police buses and water cannons to shut Gwanghwamun Square from the protestors.
The following day the Justice Minister vowed that stern action would be taken against protestors who led what he called “violent, illegal” rallies.
The following Saturday, 21 November, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency raided 12 offices of eight unions, including the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), looking for evidence of participation in the rallies. The police confiscated union documents and digital forensic agents copied files from their computers.