Why Foreigners Should Not Attend Protests In South Korea
Many foreigners do not seem to realize this, but attending protest rallies is actually illegal in Korea:
Foreigners participating in the protests against President Park Geun-hye may carry legal complications ― theoretically.
“As legal counsel I would say not to go to the rallies, as there are some articles in law that in principle prohibit foreigners from attending rallies,” said Nam Won-chul, a lawyer with Hwang Mok Park law firm.
According to the Immigration Control Act, “No foreigner sojourning in the Republic of Korea shall engage in any political activity with the exception of cases provided by this Act or other statutes.” The act empowers the Ministry of Justice to order a violator “in writing to suspend such activity” or “take other necessary measures.”
This may include deportation or a ban on visa renewal, according to one source familiar with the matter.
The law applies to all foreigners regardless of visa type, Nam says. “According to the text of the article, I think all foreigners are uniformly prohibited from political activities.” [Korea Times]
You can read more about the law at the link.
I find it interesting that foreigners with an F5 visa (Permanent Foreign Resident) are allowed to vote on referenda and in regional elections (but not presidential elections), but it’s against the law for them to attend rallies like this.
http://www.korea4expats.com/article-voting-rights-foreign-residents-korea.html
The angry/xenophobic reactions, sticks, stones, and tear gas pretty much kept me away from any large group of protestors and the surrounding areas…
I was always more interested in hanging out with happy Koreans. And they’re not that difficult to find.
I’m not sure of the era to which you’re referring, but these huge rallies happening the last several weeks are completely tame – no clashing with police, no tear gas, etc. I dare say, you could characterize them as family events as quite a few people bring young children.