Speaking at press conference on Monday, senior police superintendent Kim Ok-jeon stated that evening candlelit rallies are illegal, and therefore the police will strictly deal with the orgainzers of the rallies in accordance with existing laws./Yonhap A Wave of Impeachment-Related Rallies Sweeps the Nation

The National Police Agency (NPA) said in a press conference that the current anti-impeachment protests are illegal and that the agency would take legal action against the organizers of the demonstrations in accordance with the law. The candlelit demonstrations being held until Monday are illegal because the organizers failed to give prior notification to the police, and therefore, the police plan to indict the organizers of the demonstrations, according to the NPA. In connection with the demonstrations held in Gwanghwamun on Saturday and Sunday, police have summoned 10 organizers of the demonstrations. If convicted, under current law demonstration organizers can be punished with up to 2 years in prison or be fined up to W2 million.

Although demonstrations set to take place from Tuesday have been reported to the police, nighttime protests like candlelit vigils themselves are illegal. According to the Article 10 of the Assembly and Demonstration Law, outdoor assemblies or demonstrations are banned before sunrise and after sunset.

A civic group called "Pan-national movement to nullify the impeachment bill,” conducts an executive meeting, at the office of the Citizens’ Coalition for Democratic Media on Monday./Yonhap

The National Election Commission said Monday that with the passage of the impeachment motion, both pro- and anti-impeachment groups have held demonstrations every day and have distributed leaflets. The election agency asked the police to take prompt action if the demonstrators try to connect their demonstrations with campaigning for the upcoming election.

The police differentiated between the current demonstrations and the candlelit vigils held for two middle school girls killed by a U.S. Army vehicle two years ago. The police said that it had permitted the candlelit vigils for the girls because it had considered them religious activities or a memorial service. The Assembly and Demonstration Law stipulates that religious, sport or cultural activities are not obligated to reported beforehand to the police, but anti-impeachment demonstrations don’t fall into any of these categories according to the police.

In reality, the police can prosecute the organizers of the demonstrations, but cannot ban demonstrations from being held. When confronted with an illegal demonstration, the police first ask the organizers to declare an end to the demonstration and to voluntarily disperse. Next, the police order the demonstrators to disperse three more times. Finally, if these measures don’t work, the police can forcibly break up the gathering.

A police spokesman said that in the case of a large demonstration, the police have never tried to forcibly break up such a gathering unless it became violent.

The anti-impeachment group “Public Action for Nullification of Impeachment,” which has taken a leading role in organizing candlelit demonstrations, vowed that regardless the decision of the police, it would hold protests as scheduled, saying that the group had already announced that it would not obey the current Assembly and Demonstration Law.

Seo Ju-won, the general-director of the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement, said that it was illogical for the police to say that the candlelit vigils for the middle school girls were legal because they were a memorial while the anti-impeachment protests are illegal because they are of a political nature. According to this logic, the anti-impeachment demonstrations might be seen as a memorial because the anti-impeachment groups have already held a funeral for the 16th National Assembly, Seo commented sarcastically.

Seo also said that supporters of a specific party or politician like the group Nosamo are excluded from the Public Action for Nullification of Impeachment and police cannot ban the demonstrations because citizens have voluntarily opposed to the impeachment.

Using e-mail and text messages, the anti-impeachment groups urge citizens to participate in the demonstrations while at the demonstration scene while 1,000 volunteers make sure demonstrators observe the police line. When the demonstration ends, participators voluntarily clean the scene and collect garbage. They try to prevent candlelight demonstrations from being used as a cause for political attack.

Chung Dong-young, the head of the Uri Party, also said in a press conference on Sunday that party officials should refrain from showing up at the demonstrations clothed in a yellow jumper -- which is the party's trademark -- so the party cannot be accussed of being behind the anti-impeachment protests.

(Youm Kang-soo ksyoum@chosun.com )