Seoul, March 1 Demonstrators both supporting and opposing impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol began gathering for large-scale rallies on Saturday, as the nation grapples with the political fallout from his failed martial law attempt last December and his subsequent impeachment.
The rallies, coinciding with the anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement against Japan's colonial rule, come after the Constitutional Court held its final hearing on Yoon's impeachment trial this week and began deliberations on whether to remove him from office or reinstate him.
Rallies led by conservative activist pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon and the conservative Christian group Save Korea began near the Gwanghwamun area in central Seoul and Yeouido in western Seoul at 1 p.m. to oppose Yoon's impeachment.
The two groups have said around 100,000 people are expected to attend their rallies respectively.
Meanwhile, Candlelight Action, a progressive civic group, was set to hold a rally at an intersection near Anguk Station in central Seoul at 2 p.m.
The main Opposition Democratic Party and four other Opposition parties will hold a rally calling for Yoon's impeachment at 3:30 p.m. in the same location.
Another group calling for Yoon's removal will hold a march at 5 p.m. in downtown Seoul, which is expected to be attended by 100,000 people.
As hundreds of thousands are set to gather for the rallies, police have mobilised 6,400 officers and 230 police buses for crowd control.
About 5,000 officers will be stationed in the Gwanghwamun area, while the rest will be sent to maintain order in Yeouido.
Traffic has also been restricted on parts of Sejong-daero in downtown Seoul, as well as parts of Yeoui-daero in western Seoul, Yonhap news agency reported.
Meanwhile, the South Korean Constitutional Court is expected to decide whether to remove President Yoon Suk Yeol from office or reinstate him around mid-March.
The court capped the trial after 11 rounds, 73 days after the National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon over his short-lived imposition of martial law on December 3.
The impeachment motion accuses Yoon of violating the Constitution and laws by declaring martial law in the absence of a national emergency and ignoring due procedures, such as holding a Cabinet meeting and notifying the Parliament.
Yoon has argued his declaration of martial law was an act of governance meant to send a warning to the Opposition party over its repeated impeachments of government officials and attempts to cut the government budget.
If Yoon, who was elected in May 2022 for a single, five-year term, is formally removed from office, a snap election will be held within 60 days. However, if the impeachment is dismissed, Yoon will immediately resume his duties.
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