Police plan to block mass gatherings at a rally hosted by a major umbrella union in Seoul on Saturday.

The Korean National Police Agency said Friday it made the decision as the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions(KCTU) is pushing to stage an illegal rally involving tens of thousands of people, despite bans by the police and Seoul metropolitan government.

Police forces will be mobilized across the country to prevent gatherings and disperse crowds in accordance with rally and infectious disease prevention laws.

Those using physical force against law enforcement will be arrested on sight and organizers of illegal rallies will face criminal punishment.

Following the nation's transition into a system of living with the virus, the KCTU reported plans to hold 20 separate rallies, each consisting of 499 people, throughout central Seoul to meet with distancing restrictions. The city government, however, rejected the plan, considering it a single rally involving ten-thousand people.