By Victor Akan
Thousands of people in South Korea gathered in Busan and Seoul on Saturday to demand the removal of President Yoon Suk Yeol, following his controversial imposition of martial law.
The protests, which started in the southeastern city of Busan, quickly escalated into a large demonstration outside the office of ruling party lawmaker Park Soo-young.
Park, who heads the Busan chapter of the People Power Party (PPP), was meeting with civil petitioners when the protesters arrived to demand his stance on Yoon’s actions.
The protest began around 11 a.m., when around 30 people marched to Park’s office, calling for him to address the issue of what they described as Yoon’s “insurrection”. As the crowd grew in size, police were called to the scene.
By noon, a standoff had developed, with protesters demanding answers from Park. This confrontation lasted well into the evening, until after 8 p.m., as organisers estimated the crowd size at around 5,000 people. However, Park’s office downplayed the numbers, suggesting around 1,700 participants.
The protest ended with a meeting between Park and rally leaders. Park Soo-min, a spokesperson for the PPP, condemned the actions of the protesters, stating that physical force and violence aimed at pressuring and threatening parliamentary activities must cease.
He also vowed to hold accountable those responsible for using the people of Busan for political purposes.
Earlier in the day, a separate demonstration unfolded in Seoul, where tens of thousands of people gathered to either support or oppose the impeachment of President Yoon in response to his brief imposition of martial law.
Police estimated that around 35,000 people took part in the anti-Yoon rallies near Gyeongbok Palace. However, organisers claimed the turnout was much larger, with some reporting over 500,000 participants.
The protesters, bundled up in thick winter clothing, waved light sticks and chanted calls for Yoon’s immediate arrest, demanding that the Constitutional Court remove him from office. Some also called for the dissolution of Yoon’s ruling party, the PPP.
At the same time, just one kilometre away, Yoon’s supporters gathered near Gwanghwamun Station for a rally of their own. Some supporters held signs declaring, “Impeachment is invalid” while others called for the arrest of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party.
Yoon’s supporters were addressed by PPP member Yoon Sang-hyun, who apologised to the crowd for the party’s failure to prevent the impeachment motion against the president. He bowed in an act of humility, expressing regret for the inability to protect their leader.
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