The puppet prime minister at a "meeting of ministers in charge of public security" blustered on May 20 that "he would disallow all the large-scale demonstrations in the cities and thoroughly track down illegal demonstrators and take legal actions against them" allegedly to cope with "illegal demonstrations".

The Confederation of Trade Unions of south Korea in a statement criticized the outbursts let loose by the "prime minister", saying that they would only deteriorate the situation as they amount to adding fuel to fire.

The statement asserted that the struggle waged by the Freight Workers' Solidarity in Taejon was a protest against the present "government's" policy of favoring the tycoons and sacrificing the workers.

The authorities are, however, talking about taking strong countermeasures, a proclamation of a war against the people, the statement said, urging the authorities to immediately withdraw the suppressive step.

The joint meeting of citizens for candlelight demonstrations denounced it as an illegal act to violate the freedom of assembly and demonstration and the all-people measure committee against murder of evacuees in Ryongsan charged that it is illogical for the authorities to assert that they would ban all assemblies and demonstrations.