South Korea: Yoon's supporters ramp up protest amid his final impeachment hearing

Seoul(The Uttam Hindu): Thousands of supporters of South Korean impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol gathered around the Constitutional Court on Tuesday amid the final hearing of his impeachment trial, calling for the nullification of the impeachment. At around 10 a.m., approximately 3,800 police officers were dispatched near the court's main entrance and near Anguk Station. Some 190 police buses were also parked to block the view of the court from the sidewalk.

Earlier in the day, members of a pro-Yoon group held a press conference at the court's main entrance, saying they submitted a petition with 190,000 signatures opposing the impeachment. As of 4 pm, 2,000 supporters of Yoon, including those of the conservative Liberty Unification Party, also gathered near Anguk Station to protest against Yoon's impeachment.

Separately, around 100 people gathered on the sidewalk opposite the court and called for Yoon's impeachment to be nullified. They refused to leave, citing their rights to a one-man protest, Yonhap news agency reported. Under the Assembly and Demonstration Act, outdoor rallies are prohibited within a 100-meter radius of the Constitutional Court, with the exception of a one-person demonstration or a press conference. Earlier in the day, the South Korean National Assembly's legal team demanded President Yoon Suk Yeol's removal from office over his short-lived imposition of martial law during its final arguments before the Constitutional Court.

Yoon was absent from the courtroom as the team of lawyers began presenting their final arguments on why the court should uphold the National Assembly's impeachment of the President over his surprise declaration of martial law on December 3. The National Assembly's impeachment motion against Yoon accuses the President 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 parliament.