Seoul: Tens of thousands of people gathered in South Korea’s Seoul on Saturday to rally for or against the detention of President Yoon Suk Yeol following his short-lived imposition of martial law in early December, escalating tensions and disrupting traffic.
Around 35,000 people staged pro-Yoon rallies near Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul at 1 p.m., then suddenly moved to Hannam-dong of Yongsan district to stand against anti-Yoon protestors.
Just 400 metres away, members of the militant labor umbrella Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) held a rally calling for the immediate arrest of Yoon, Yonhap news agency reported.
The KCTU members tried to march near Yoon’s residence, which was blocked by police. Over the course, there were physical clashes and two were detained for allegedly assaulting police officers.
Protesters occupied roads, which caused severe traffic congestion in the area. Seoul’s Hangangjin Station was also briefly closed, with trains passing it without stopping.
Separately, a large-scale protest took place near Gwanghwamun Square demanding the swift impeachment of Yoon.
On Friday, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) made a botched attempt to detain Yoon after a six-hour deadlock with Yoon’s security team at the presidential residence compound.
Yoon’s shocking, albeit short-lived, martial law declaration was followed by the National Assembly’s impeachment vote pending a final ruling by the Constitutional Court.
Investigation is under way into the incident, but Yoon has refused to appear for questioning, leading to a court’s issuance of a warrant for his detention.
Earlier in the day, South Korean police again requested two top officials of the Presidential security office to appear for questioning for their alleged obstruction of official duties related to the state anti-corruption agency’s attempt to detain suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Park Chong-jun, chief of the Presidential Security Service (PSS), and Deputy Kim Seong-hoon were booked on suspicion of obstructing special official duties, as PSS officials, along with military members, blocked the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) from executing a warrant to detain Yoon on Friday over his short-lived martial law declaration on December 3.
(IANS)
