Korea on edge as Yoon's impeachment ruling looms

Koreans from all walks of life gathered near the Constitutional Court in Seoul for a tense overnight sit-in, both supporting and opposing the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. The protests took place on Friday, as anticipation builds ahead of the court’s upcoming ruling.

Calling for Yoon’s ouster over his Dec. 3 martial law declaration, hundreds of pro-impeachment protesters have staged overnight rallies in central Seoul, keeping their fingers crossed that the high court will uphold the National Assembly’s impeachment motion against the president over his failed martial law declaration.

Among the group was 61-year-old Yang Hee-bu, who boarded the last bus to Seoul at midnight from Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, with a certainty that the president will be removed from power by the final ruling.

“Yoon Suk Yeol must be ousted … by a unanimous 8-0 decision, of course,” he said. “Every word from his mouth was a lie. Even at the final [Constitutional Court] hearing, he continued to lie, and we all know it.”

Park Chi-min from Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, settled on a picnic mat at 7 p.m. Thursday and endured the early spring chill overnight, wrapped in tinfoil blankets.

Protesters wrapped in tinfoil blankets stage an overnight sit-in protest near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, Friday, demanding President Yoon Suk Yeol's ouster. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

"I feel like a weight is being lifted off my chest now that it's finally nearing the end," the 29-year-old said, adding that he has participated in the pro-impeachment protests every weekend since December.

“Yoon’s declaration of martial law is constitutionally unacceptable in a democratic republic. That alone is reason enough to initiate an impeachment trial,” he said, adding that he hopes no physical clashes occur between supporters and critics of the impeachment after the ruling.

Yeo Hyun-soo, a Korean traditional performer from Gochang, North Jeolla Province, waves a giant flag at a rally supporting President Yoon Suk Yeol's ouster near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, Friday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Meanwhile, across from Anguk Station near the Constitutional Court, a group of anti-impeachment protesters organized their own sit-in.

Kim Keon-su, a 33-year-old office worker from Osan, Gyeonggi Province, also stayed overnight with fellow pro-Yoon rallygoers because he believes the president’s declaration of martial law was driven by what he called the opposition party’s “legislative dictatorship” that had paralyzed state affairs.

He was referring to the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's alleged use of its majority in the National Assembly to push through its agenda.

"I believe the court will dismiss his impeachment, but we can never be certain, so I’m anxious," he said, adding that he backs the president’s return to power because "privileges given to foreign nationals over Koreans" should be revoked, citing rising resentment toward Chinese nationals of Korean descent living in Korea.

Yoon raised the alarm about alleged Chinese involvement in espionage activities and potential interference in Korean politics.

Supporters of President Yoon Suk Yeol wave Korean and American flags during a rally near the presidential residence in Seoul, Friday, ahead of the Constitutional Court's ruling on his impeachment. Yonhap

Lee Young-hwan, 65, believes Yoon’s return to power could mend the Korea-U.S. relations and relieve the deepening economic downturn.

“We need a good relations with the U.S. right now, and our president is pretty close with Trump … He could go talk to him about the tariffs,” he said, referring the U.S. president’s tariff plans announced on Tuesday.

The U.S. decided to impose 26 percent “reciprocal” tariffs on Korean imports and the Korean government declared to “mobilize all available resources to overcome the trade crisis” amid leadership vacuum.

Police increased security across central Seoul, with rows of police buses lining the streets to prevent violence and thousands of officers deployed to avert any physical clashes.

Police officers are deployed at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, Friday, to prevent possible physical clash ahead of the final ruling of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment. Yonhap

Anguk subway station, the closest station to the Constitutional Court, will remain closed on the day of the impeachment ruling until the situation stabilizes.

Meanwhile, near the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul, over a thousand pro-Yoon protesters have set up a sit-in. The group plans to march to the presidential office after the ruling. Yoon said Thursday that he will not appear in court for the impeachment ruling.