South Korea's political crisis deepens as thousands rally in snowy Seoul, clashing over President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment and pending arrest for alleged insurrection.
Thousands braved heavy snow in Seoul on Sunday to rally for and against arresting impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, as South Korea's political crisis appeared headed toward another high-stakes confrontation.
With an arrest warrant against Yoon for alleged insurrection expiring at midnight (1500 GMT) on Monday, multiple groups held demonstrations near his official residence, some urging his immediate arrest and others protesting against it.
Yoon became the country's first sitting president to face arrest over his botched attempt to declare martial law on Dec. 3, which triggered political chaos engulfing Asia's fourth-largest economy and a key U.S. ally.
The conservative president was impeached by parliament and is suspended from official duties while a court decides whether to reinstate or remove him. On Friday, criminal investigators were blocked from arresting him by Yoon's presidential security service and military troops in a six-hour standoff.
Some of Sunday's protesters had gathered overnight in downtown Seoul, where temperatures fell below minus 5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit). More than 5 cm (2 inches) of snow piled up in parts of the capital, which was under a heavy snow warning.
"We have to reestablish the foundation of our society by punishing the president who has denied the constitution," said Yang Kyung-soo, leader of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), a major labour group that took part in the protests.
"We must bring down the criminal Yoon Suk Yeol and arrest and detain him as soon as possible."
Nearby, Yoon supporters held placards reading "We will fight for President Yoon Suk Yeol" and "Stop the Steal", a phrase popularised by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's supporters after he lost the 2020 election.
Similar rallies drew tens of thousands on Saturday, prompting police to try to disperse KCTU protesters occupying roads and disrupting traffic. Two were detained, accused of assaulting police officers, Yonhap news agency reported.
On Saturday, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which leads Yoon's criminal investigation, again asked acting President Choi Sang-mok, the finance minister, to order the security service to comply with the arrest warrant.
A finance ministry spokesperson declined to comment.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued a rare public rebuke of Israel's military tactics in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah militants, saying it wa...
Russian sailors aboard a naval frigate fired warning shots at a civilian yacht in the English Channel on Tuesday after the vessel reportedly came too ...
South Korea will shift a line running parallel to the military border with North Korea to narrow the area that restricts civilian access to reflect an...
China has successfully launched an experimental satellite designed to monitor the space environment, marking another step in the rapid expansion of it...
American technology company Snap has launched its first augmented-reality (AR) glasses for consumers, marking a major push into wearable computing as...
South Korea will shift a line running parallel to the military border with North Korea to narrow the area that restricts civilian access to reflect an evolving security environment and for the convenience of local residents, the defence minister said on Wednesday.
North Korea said on Sunday, 14 June, that denuclearisation is a matter that is irreversibly terminated, in a condemnation of recent nuclear deterrence talks between the U.S. and South Korea.
Mexico began its home World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over South Africa in a heated opening match at the Estadio Azteca, setting the tone for the tournament in front of a vocal home crowd.
A South Korean court has sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison over charges linked to a military drone operation involving North Korea.
A senior U.S. official said on Monday that the memorandum of understanding linked to the U.S.-Iran agreement had been signed by President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told U.S. President Donald Trump that Israel does not consider itself bound by a Lebanon-related provision in an emerging agreement with Iran, according to Israeli officials.
A strong 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's Sulawesi island early Tuesday, killing at least one person and injuring four, according to emergency authorities.
U.S. President Donald Trump said a preliminary agreement to end the war in the Gulf has been signed by the U.S. and Iran, though details have yet to be made public and both countries said a permanent truce is yet to be negotiated.
Ukraine has said it struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Moscow region, marking one of the deepest reported attacks into Russian territory in recent months.
South Korea will shift a line running parallel to the military border with North Korea to narrow the area that restricts civilian access to reflect an evolving security environment and for the convenience of local residents, the defence minister said on Wednesday.
A cyber extortion group has claimed it stole more than a terabyte of data from Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk after the company allegedly refused to pay a $25 million ransom.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday (16 June) that a lack of respect for international law remains the “biggest hurdle” to building international solidarity, as he addressed an outreach session at the G7 Summit in Evian.
The European Commission has warned of growing risks social media poses to children and teenagers on Tuesday 16 June, as Brussels moves closer to tightening protections for minors online.
China has successfully launched an experimental satellite designed to monitor the space environment, marking another step in the rapid expansion of its national space programme.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment