South Koreans gathered in huge numbers in the capital Seoul on Saturday to support or oppose impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol before a court decides whether his short-lived declaration of martial law disqualifies him from office.
The Constitutional Court is expected to decide in the coming days whether to oust Yoon in a case that ignited South Korea's worst political crisis in decades and rattled markets.
In central Seoul, anti-Yoon protesters filled a large square, chanting for his immediate removal, and were joined by opposition politicians.
A few blocks away, conservative Yoon supporters crammed an entire avenue, calling for his return and waving South Korean and American flags.
The major opposition Democratic Party said a million people had attended the anti-Yoon rally, while police put the number at each demonstration at 43,000, the Yonhap news agency reported.
Yoon is also on trial on a criminal charge of insurrection, although he was freed from detention last week.
His martial law imposition and its fallout have widened deep social rifts between conservatives and liberals and put pressure on institutions and the military, which had found itself in a quandary over whether to enforce martial law.
Pro- and anti-Yoon demonstrators have been taking to the streets in their hundreds of thousands, week after week, since the crisis.
"Last week, I thought that the Constitutional Court would rule, but it didn't. Then Yoon was released, making me incredibly frustrated," said Song Young-sun, a 48-year-old protester. "So this week I came here, hoping that the Constitutional Court will rule on the impeachment case next week."
In a Gallup Korea poll published on Friday, 58% supported Yoon's impeachment, while 37% opposed it.
"I hope that the judges of the Constitutional Court will make a precise judgment and dismiss the case," said Kim Hyung-joon, a 70-year-old pro-Yoon protester.
South Korea’s top court will decide on Friday whether to remove or reinstate President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose brief martial law order sparked the country’s biggest political crisis in years.
South Korea’s opposition Democratic Party has called for a swift ruling from the Constitutional Court on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment, citing concerns that ongoing delays could worsen political divisions and uncertainty.
South Korea is ramping up security measures as the Constitutional Court prepares to rule on whether to oust or reinstate impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, with large protests expected.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will give a closing statement on Tuesday in a Constitutional Court trial reviewing his impeachment for declaring martial law. If upheld, he could be removed from office less than three years into his term, with a new election required within 60 days.
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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Türkiye is resolutely moving toward the goal of completely eliminating the terror problem from the national agenda, marking a significant milestone on the "Terror-Free Türkiye" path.
On May 12, the Baku Military Court resumed hearings in the case against Armenian citizens accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 1993 occupation of Kalbajar.
On May 12, during an official visit to Bahrain, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov held talks focused on strengthening parliamentary diplomacy and exchanging views on regional security issues.
Latin American leaders deepened ties with China at the China-CELAC Forum in Beijing, highlighting growing economic and strategic cooperation as global power dynamics shift and China expands its influence in the Global South.
A long-awaited reunion is underway as the Red Cross takes custody of Israeli-American Edan Alexander, paving the way for his return home after weeks in Hamas captivity.
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