Mass rallies planned in Seoul Saturday ahead of impeachment vote

Citizens call for the resignation of Yoon Seok Yeol during a rally in Daejeon, Thursday. Around 2,000 people gathered to demand his resignation. Yonhap

Large-scale rallies are set to take place at multiple locations in Seoul on Saturday where citizens will protest President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law and call for his resignation, or if he refuses, impeachment.

The largest one will be held near the National Assembly in Yeouido, where the critical parliamentary impeachment vote is slated for 7 p.m. that day. At the rally site, the participants are expected to wait for the results of the vote together.

The organizers initially planned to gather at Gwanghwamun Square, the symbolic place where millions of people gathered for candlelight vigils in 2016 to oust former President Park Geun-hye over corruption scandals. But they moved to Yeouido to exert more pressure on ruling People Power Party lawmakers who are hesitant about voting in favor of impeachment.

Civic groups hold a protest at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, Wednesday, urging President Yoon Suk Yeol to step down, as they accuse Yoon of treason for declaring an illegal martial law. Yonhap

Prior to the main rally, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, one of the two major umbrella unions, will hold a prerally at 2 p.m. to call for the impeachment and arrest of the president.

Simultaneously, conservative groups, including the Liberty Unification Party, are planning a counterprotest in Gwanghwamun. Starting at 1 p.m., the conservative groups said they would condemn the impeachment vote as an “illegal impeachment.” The right-wing groups have reported an anticipated 15,000 participants to the police.

There are speculations that if the impeachment motion is not passed, protesters might march to the presidential office in Yongsan District.

The rallies are expected to cause severe traffic disruptions across downtown Seoul. Authorities are advising the public to use subways and other public transportation and to check traffic conditions in advance if traveling by car.