1 of 5 | A crowd of protesters sits in front of the National Assembly ahead of an impeachment vote against South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Saturday. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI
SEOUL, Dec. 7 (UPI) — A massive rally of protesters assembled near the National Assembly building in Seoul on a bitterly cold Saturday to call for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal from office ahead of an impeachment vote over his short-lived martial law declaration.
A crowd that appeared to be in the hundreds of thousands filled the main boulevard leading up to the National Assembly, snaked up and down side streets and spilled into a park over half a mile away. As the 5 p.m. opening of the parliament’s plenary session neared, throngs of people continued to emerge from subways and public transportation hubs, bundled up and carrying signs calling for Yoon’s arrest and impeachment.
“We are here to protect our civil rights and have our voices heard,” 27-year-old J.R. Kim said. “It was important to come here today.”
Like many of the younger protesters, Kim was carrying an electronic lightstick used at K-pop concerts, as the mood carried a trace of exuberance alongside the outrage at Yoon’s shocking declaration of martial law late Tuesday night.
The scene was reminiscent of the large-scale “Candlelight Revolution” protests that led to the impeachment and removal of former President Park Geun-hye in 2017.
“There is both anger and enjoyment,” Kim said. “But we will not leave until Yoon is gone.”
Rallygoers were a mix of all ages, from families bringing small children to those old enough to have lived through a South Korean military dictatorship that ended in 1987.
On social media, some supporters announced that they had prepaid for food at takeout restaurants near the rally site for senior citizens to pick up free of charge.
Earlier in the day, Yoon made a brief public apology — his first remarks since rescinding the martial law order on Wednesday after his decree was quickly overturned by the National Assembly.
“I am sincerely sorry and apologize to the people who must have been very surprised,” Yoon said in the two-minute televised address.
He said he imposed martial law due to “desperation” as president but pledged not to make another attempt.
“For the rest of my term, I will entrust my power to our (ruling) party to stabilize the political situation, ” Yoon said. “Our party and the government will together take responsibility for future state affairs.”
An impeachment would require the support of two-thirds of the 300-member parliament. The opposition controls 192 seats, needing an additional eight votes from the president’s People Power Party to pass the motion.
On Friday, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon called for the swift suspension of Yoon, saying that there was a “great risk” that the embattled president would try to impose martial law again.
Han told reporters on Saturday that Yoon’s early resignation “is unavoidable,” saying the president is no longer in a position to perform his duties effectively. However, it is not clear whether he and the party will support the impeachment vote.
Protesters Saturday said they would not give up pushing for Yoon’s removal, no matter the result of the vote.
“Yoon has to go,” said 29-year-old Eom Jayoung. “Nobody was expecting a dictatorship in 2024, especially in South Korea. This is not North Korea.”