A presidential security guard and a police officer stop and check vehicles entering Pyeongsan Village in the southeastern city of Yangsan, where former President Moon Jae-in’s residence is located, on Aug. 22, 2022. A van with loudspeakers was not allowed into the village. (Yonhap)
YANGSAN, Aug. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — Tranquility and calmness appear to have returned to a southeastern rural village where former President Moon Jae-in’s residence is located on the first day of strengthened security measures there.
Gone from Pyeongsan Village in Yangsan, 420 kilometers southeast of Seoul, are loud noises and abusive language from anti-Moon demonstrators.
Instead, the silence is only broken by the intermittent natural sounds of insects, such as the chirping of cicadas.
Until last week, noises and shouting from anti-Moon protesters had been unceasing in Pyeongsan, a small rural village with just 54 households, since the Moon family arrived at their new home there on May 11 after his retirement.
The sudden tremendous change came after the Presidential Security Service expanded the guard zone for the former president under the instruction of President Yoon Suk-yeol and banned rallies within 300 meters from Moon’s residence starting Monday.
An iron fence was installed at the entrance of Pyeongsan Village, and security personnel and police officers stopped all vehicles heading into the village to check them one by one.
Vehicles with loudspeakers were not allowed to enter the village.
All visitors were also asked about their destinations and the purpose of their visits.
Those with bags had their personal belongings checked before entering the village, as inflammable substances, such as gunpowder, guns, swords, explosives and other hazardous tools are prohibited.
Thanks to the strict security measures, repetitive and expletive-laden shouts by right-wing protesters unhappy with the way Moon ran the country for five years have virtually disappeared from the village.
Only several YouTubers carrying their smartphones were seen roaming around the village for live broadcasting on the changed atmosphere. One of them was stopped by a security guard while approaching Moon’s home and then was expelled from the village later.
Village residents living around Moon’s home welcomed the strengthened security measures, saying the village has become quiet again after a long while.
A resident surnamed Shin expressed satisfaction with the return of tranquility, saying: “How good it is if the village continues to be like this. Wouldn’t it have been better to have done this earlier?”
(Yonhap)
