S. Korean police to take stronger measures in upcoming rally despite casualties

By Brian Han

Just a few weeks ago, a 69-year-old South Korean farmer got hit with a police water cannon during a massive protest rendering him unconscious.

Medical reports later revealed that he suffered from a brain hemorrhage stemming from the incident.

Instead of readjusting its strategy to avoid casualties such as this one, the government came out with a firm rhetoric that included “eradicating” violent protesters who would “pay the price,” Justice Minister Kim Hyun-woong said during a public address in reference to a future rally.

The government officially banned a protest planned for Saturday, but it seems that it won’t be enough to deter tens of thousands of more disgruntled citizens from coming out.

In the middle of November, over 70,000 South Koreans took to the streets of downtown Seoul to protest their government’s policies on the labor market and the rewriting of history textbooks.

Police plan to up the ante by using colored sprays to mark violent protesters, who can then be targeted for an arrest.

Furthermore, President Park Geun-hye mentioned the possibility of making masks illegal as they allegedly increase the threat of a terrorist attack following the Islamic State (ISIS) incident in Paris.