President Yoon Suk Yeol criticized one of the nation's major umbrella unions for staging a large-scale rally last week that disrupted traffic in central Seoul, saying the public will not tolerate such a violation of liberty, basic rights and disturbance to public order.

The president made the comment during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday as he addressed last week's overnight two-day rally led by construction unions under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions(KCTU) in Seoul's Gwanghwamun area.

The president said the guaranteed freedoms of assembly and demonstration do not justify acts that infringe upon the liberty and basic rights of others or disrupt public order.

Yoon blamed the previous Moon Jae-in administration for effectively relinquishing the authority of police over illegal rallies and protests, imposing an inconvenience on the public as they struggle to cope with loudspeakers and street occupations.

The president then stressed that his administration will not neglect, disregard or tolerate any type of illegal activity, adding that the government will protect law enforcement officials from any suffering or fallout caused by attempts to fulfill their duties.

The president's remarks follow the ruling People Power Party's decision on Monday to pursue legialstion that would ban rallies between midnight and 6 a.m., which was met with criticism by opposition parties.