Before a court decision on whether President Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law disqualifies him from office, a large number of South Koreans have gathered in Seoul’s capital to support or oppose him.
Anti-Yoon protesters chanted for his immediate removal on Saturday in a large square in Seoul. Conservative Yoon supporters resurrect an entire avenue and demand his return while waving the flags of South Korea and the United States a few streets away.
After Yoon attempted to impose martial law in December of that year, rattling markets and igniting the country’s worst political crisis, the Constitutional Court will likely decide in a few days whether to ouster him.
In two months, a national election for a successor will be held in Yoon’s place if the court decides against him.
Yoon is also facing a charge of insurrection, but he was released from custody last week.
deep social divides
The former president’s decision to impose martial law and its aftermath caused deep social rifts between liberals and conservatives, which in turn put pressure on government and military to decide whether to do so.
Pro and anti-Yoon protests have taken to the streets every week in the hundreds of thousands.
A Gallup Korea poll on Friday found that 37% of respondents opposed Yoon’s impeachment, compared to 58% for Yoon’s support.
Yoon’s release from jail last week was “incredibly” frustrating, according to Song Young-sun, a 48-year-old protester, who spoke to Reuters news agency.
So I came to this court this week, hoping that the Constitutional Court will decide the impeachment case the following week,” Song said.
Kim Hyung-joon, a 70-year-old pro-Yoon protester, told Reuters that he hoped the court would issue a “precise judgment and dismiss the case.”
However, Yoon sent hundreds of soldiers and police officers to the National Assembly after declaring martial law, which is the court’s most important decision-making issue.
Source: Aljazeera
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