South Korea: Rallies held nationwide for, against Yoon’s impeachment ahead of final hearing
Seoul, Feb 23 (IANS) Protests were held across South Korea to rally for or against President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment as the final Constitutional Court hearing of his trial draws near.
A group of protesters led by conservative activist pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon gathered in the Gwanghwamun area of central Seoul at 1 p.m. to oppose Yoon’s impeachment, Yonhap news agency reported.
“The time has come for us to put an end to this,” he said during the rally, asking 30 million people to take to the streets of Gwanghwamun on March 1 Independence Movement Day, which falls next Saturday.
An unofficial police estimate put the attendance at 30,000, while organizers claimed 3 million participated in the rally.
In the central city of Daejeon, 137 kilometres south of Seoul, a conservative Christian group called “Save Korea” organised a large-scale rally opposing Yoon’s impeachment.
Participants held up signs calling for Yoon’s release from detention and the Constitutional Court’s dismissal of his impeachment.
Police estimated around 10,000 people took part in the rally, though organisers had reported that 20,000 were expected to attend. Similar events were held in Incheon, west of Seoul, and Daegu, about 230 km southeast of the capital.
Opposing rallies calling for Yoon’s impeachment were also held across the nation.
A rally near Gyeongbokgung Station saw an estimated 11,000 people demanding Yoon’s immediate ouster and urging a prompt ruling by the Constitutional Court on Yoon’s impeachment. Organisers claimed around 100,000 were in attendance.
Similar rallies took place at Anguk Station near the Constitutional Court, with an estimated 9,000 participants according to the police’s unofficial count, while organisers reported 35,000 in attendance.
The final hearing of Yoon’s impeachment trial is slated for Tuesday, after which the Constitutional Court will decide whether to remove him from office or reinstate him.
Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly over his short-lived imposition of martial law on December 3.
–IANS
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