SEOUL, March 22 (UPI) — Massive rallies broke out in Seoul Saturday as supporters and opponents of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol took to the streets ahead of a court decision on whether to uphold his impeachment.
Yoon was impeached on Dec. 14 by the National Assembly over a shocking attempt to impose martial law, which was overturned in a matter of hours by lawmakers.
The Constitutional Court has the final say on whether to formally remove Yoon from office. It heard final arguments in the weeks-long trial on Feb. 25 and a decision was widely expected by mid-March, based on the timelines of two previous impeachment proceedings.
The court has not yet indicated a verdict date, however, prompting hundreds of thousands of anxious protesters to descend on central Seoul Saturday. Rallies calling for Yoon’s impeachment to be upheld were centered around Gyeongbokgung Palace, with huge crowds gathered in front of the landmark site carrying signs and waving humorous flags.
“We want the Constitutional Court to impeach Yoon quickly,” 24-year-old Dokyung Kim told UPI. “He has to face the punishment he deserves.”
Kim said that the court’s drawn-out process has left South Korea in limbo.
“We need to stabilize the economy,” she said. “It’s already so hard to live and the uncertainty is making everything worse.”
On Wednesday, opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung called for a swift court ruling, saying that the ongoing fallout from Yoon’s short-lived martial law declaration is “ultimately ruining the entire country.”
Yoon’s supporters, meanwhile, filled nearby Gwanghwamun Square and surrounding streets to demand that the impeached president be reinstated.
Yoon said he declared martial law to protect the public from “pro-North Korea anti-state forces” in the Democratic Party that were obstructing his agenda and paralyzing the government. He has also frequently repeated unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, among other nefarious North Korean and Chinese plots.
Supporters on Saturday echoed Yoon’s conspiracies and found common cause with U.S. President Donald Trump‘s MAGA movement, with many carrying “Stop the Steal” signs alongside American and South Korean flags. Crowds even danced to “YMCA,” the 1970s disco hit by the Village People that has become an anthem at Trump rallies.
Pro-Yoon demonstrations have at times turned violent since his impeachment. In January, dozens of angry protesters stormed Seoul’s Western District Court after Yoon was formally arrested for his martial law attempt, breaking windows, destroying property and injuring 17 police officers.
South Korean police said Wednesday that they would mobilize 14,000 riot police officers — some 60% of their available force — on the day of the Constitutional Court ruling.
Public opinion remains strongly in favor of Yoon’s removal from office. In a recent survey by pollster Gallup Korea, 58% percent of respondents said Yoon’s impeachment should be upheld, while 37% said it should be dismissed. If the impeachment is confirmed by the court, a snap presidential election must be held within 60 days.