Seoul: Thousands of people took to the streets in central Seoul on Saturday, commemorating or opposing the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was convicted of insurrection, on the first anniversary of his removal from office.
According to Yonhap News Agency, nearly 1,000 people gathered in front of the Constitutional Court in central Seoul, holding pickets reading "End insurrection, treason" and calling for "grand social reform." The rally marked the first anniversary of the Constitutional Court's decision to grant the ouster of Yoon for illegitimately declaring martial law on December 3, 2024.
In February, a district court sentenced Yoon to life in prison, convicting him of insurrection for deploying troops to the National Assembly. Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters gathered around the National Assembly in western Seoul, advocating for prosecution reform related to Yoon, who previously served as the country's top prosecutor.
Separately, nearly three thousand of Yoon's supporters staged rallies and marches near the Constitutional Court, the National Assembly, and central Seoul, opposing his ouster and calling for his release. They waved the national flags of South Korea and the United States, with an Israeli flag also spotted among them. A young protester shouted, "A year after the fraudulent ouster, we remain never fazed," while others insisted the martial law declaration was "legitimate." No clashes were reported between participants in the opposing rallies.