South Koreans yesterday took to the streets for a day of rage focused on South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol, whose failed attempt at imposing martial law sparked anger and dismay.
The streets of Seoul teemed with protesters and police throughout the day as labor unions called a general strike and the opposition demanded that Yoon step down and face charges of insurrection.
Outside the South Korean National Assembly in Seoul, where just hours earlier lawmakers voted to block Yoon’s martial law declaration, the crowd was united in their wrath against the former prosecutor.
Photo: AP
“It was a self-coup, intended to protect himself and his wife,” one man shouted — a reference to the myriad scandals that have engulfed the first lady since Yoon’s tenure began in 2022.
With few signs of fatigue from a sleepless night in which they feared Yoon was attempting to reverse decades of democratic progress, the crowd waved signs and sang South Korea’s national anthem.
“We have to defend it,” said Shin So-yeon, a woman in her 20s, referring to democracy. “There is no other option.”
Opposition politician Cho Kuk accused Yoon of having “attempted a coup through treason, military rebellion, and violations of constitutional and legal provisions.”
Former presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung — who livestreamed his late night vault over a fence to get into the parliament — hailed “citizens who risked their lives, ready to face bullets” to defy the martial law declaration.
He said the president had lost all ability to make “normal and reasonable judgement.”
Another opposition official described Yoon as “abnormal.”
“Abnormal president, with the abnormal presidential wife, tried to protect the abnormal power,” said Kim Min-seok, a senior Democratic Party official.
Opposition lawmakers followed up the event by submitting a motion to impeach Yoon, which requires the support of two-thirds of the parliament and at least six Constitutional Court judges.
The motion could be put to a vote by tomorrow.
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