The streets of central Seoul were filled with thousands of South Koreans on Saturday for mass rallies both for and against ousted President Yoon Seok-yeol, as a Constitutional Court ruling looms to formally impeach him over the martial law he imposed in December.
Huge crowds of anti-Yoon protesters, waving banners and placards calling for his resignation, gathered outside the court, where police have stepped up security ahead of a ruling expected next week.
Yoon's supporters gathered in nearby streets, holding South Korean and American flags and calling for the return of their conservative leader, whose abrupt seizure of power was reminiscent of the military dictatorships of the 1980s.
A large police presence was deployed to ensure security at the rallies, but there were no reports of serious clashes or injuries.
Organizers of the protests against Yun have put the number of participants at 1.1 million, while police say it is in the tens of thousands.
Protesters marching toward the courthouse chanted and chanted slogans calling for Yun's removal and arrest following the brief imposition of martial law on Dec. 3.
Yun's powers were suspended when the opposition-controlled National Assembly impeached him on December 14.
“We cannot wait another day,” one protest leader said from the podium. “It is the will of our citizens that the Constitutional Court immediately remove Yun Seok-yul, the leader of the rebellion!”
To formally remove Yun from office, at least six of the eight sitting Constitutional Court justices must support the impeachment motion brought by the officials.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
