Latest news with #Anti-Yoon
Gulf Today
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol removed from office over martial law
South Korea's Constitutional Court unanimously ruled on Friday to remove impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol from office over his disastrous martial law declaration, triggering fresh elections after months of political turmoil. Yoon, 64, was suspended by lawmakers over his December 3 attempt to subvert civilian rule, which saw armed soldiers deployed to parliament. He was also arrested on insurrection charges as part of a separate criminal case. Millions of Koreans watched the Constitutional Court hand down its verdict live on television, with the country's main messaging app KakaoTalk telling AFP that some users were experiencing delays due to a sudden surge in traffic. Moon Hyung-bae (C) speaks during the final ruling of Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment in Seoul. AP "Given the serious negative impact and far-reaching consequences of the respondent's constitutional violations... (We) dismiss respondent President Yoon Suk Yeol," acting court President Moon Hyung-bae said while delivering the ruling. Yoon's removal, which is effective immediately, triggers fresh presidential elections, which must be held within 60 days. Authorities will announce a date in the coming days. Outside the court, AFP reporters heard Yoon supporters shouting threats that they wanted to kill the judges, who decided unanimously to uphold Yoon's impeachment, and have been given additional security protection by police. Yoon Suk-yeol and first lady Kim Keon-hee arrive for a formal dinner at the G20 Summit, in Nusa Dua, Indonesia. File/ AP Yoon's actions "violate the core principles of the rule of law and democratic governance", the judges said in their ruling. Yoon sending armed soldiers to parliament in a bid to prevent lawmakers from voting down his decree "violated the political neutrality of the armed forces." He deployed troops for "political purposes", the judges added. "In the end, the respondent's unconstitutional and illegal acts are a betrayal of the people's trust and constitute a serious violation of the law that cannot be tolerated," they ruled. Opposition party lawmakers clapped their hands as the verdict was announced, calling it "historic", while lawmakers from Yoon's party filed out of the courtroom. Anti-Yoon protesters react after the announcement of the Constitutional Court's verdict on the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul. AFP Yoon apologised for failing to meet the people's "expections" in a brief statement released after the verdict. The dismissed president "will likely be remembered as a leader who was fundamentally unprepared — and perhaps unqualified — for the presidency," Ji Yeon Hong, a political science professor at University of Michigan, told AFP. "He failed to grasp the magnitude of the power entrusted to him and showed a deeply biased understanding of democracy and political leadership." Impeached Yoon is the second South Korean leader to be impeached by the court after Park Geun-hye in 2017. After weeks of tense hearings, judges spent more than a month deliberating the case, while public unrest swelled. Police raised the security alert to the highest possible level on Friday. Officers encircled the courthouse with a ring of vehicles and stationed special operations teams in the vicinity. Anti-Yoon protesters gathered outdoors to watch a live broadcast of the verdict, cheering and holding hands. When Yoon's removal was announced, they erupted into wild cheers, with some bursting into tears. "When the dismissal was finally declared, the cheers were so loud it felt like the rally was being swept away," Kim Min-ji, a 25-year-old anti-Yoon protester, told AFP. "We cried tears and shouted that we, the citizens, had won!" Yoon, who defended his attempt to subvert civilian rule as necessary to root out "anti-state forces", still commands the backing of extreme supporters. Outside his residence, his supporters shouted and swore, with some bursting into tears as the verdict was announced. This year, at least two staunch Yoon supporters have died after self-immolating in protest of the leader's impeachment. Anti-Yoon protesters with their dogs hold up light sticks during a rally in Seoul. AFP The decision shows "first and foremost the resilience of South Korean democracy", Byunghwan Son, professor at George Mason University, told AFP. "The very fact that the system did not collapse suggests that the Korean democracy can survive even the worst challenge against it — a coup attempt." Portraits of Yoon will be taken down from military offices on Friday, Yonhap news agency reported. According to defence ministry regulations, a photo of the country's commander-in-chief must be displayed at their offices. Trade winds The Korean won jumped sharply against the US dollar immediately after the court announced Yoon's dismissal, with Seoul's benchmark KOSPI up 8.62 points, or 0.35 percent. South Korea has spent the four months since the martial law declaration without an effective head of state, as the opposition impeached Yoon's stand-in, acting president Han Duck-soo -- only for him to be later reinstated by a court ruling. The leadership vacuum came during a series of crises and headwinds, including an aviation disaster and the deadliest wildfires in the country's history. This week, South Korea was slammed with 25 percent tariffs on exports to key ally the United States after President Donald Trump unveiled global, so-called reciprocal levies. After the court decision on Friday, National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik said "we have reaffirmed that no one in the Republic of Korea can be above the law." "We have made clear the principle that any power that commits unconstitutional or illegal acts must be held accountable," Woo said. Yoon also faces a separate criminal trial on charges of insurrection over the martial law bid. Han will remain as acting president until the new elections are held. Agence France-Presse
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Yoon Suk Yeol removed as South Korea's president over short-lived martial law
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's Constitutional Court unanimously removed Yoon Suk Yeol from office Friday, ending his tumultuous presidency and setting up a new election, four months after he threw the nation into turmoil with an ill-fated declaration of martial law. The verdict capped a dramatic fall for Yoon, a former star prosecutor who became president in 2022, just a year after he entered politics. In a nationally televised hearing, the court's acting chief Moon Hyung-bae said the eight-member bench found Yoon's actions were unconstitutional and had a grave impact. 'By declaring martial law in breach of the constitution and other laws, the defendant brought back the history of abusing state emergency decrees, shocked the people and caused confusion in the society, economy, politics, diplomacy and all other areas,' Moon said. 'Given the negative impact on constitutional order caused by the defendant's violation of laws and its ripple effects are grave, we find that the benefits of upholding the constitution by dismissing the defendant far outweigh the national losses from the dismissal of the president,' the justice concluded. Protesters erupt in jubilation and sorrow Anti-Yoon protesters near the court erupted into tears and danced when the verdict was announced in the late morning. Two women wept as they hugged and an old man near them leapt to his feet and screamed with joy. The crowd later marched through Seoul streets. Outside Yoon's official residence, many supporters cried, screamed and yelled at journalists when they saw the news of the verdict on a giant TV screen. But they quickly cooled down after their organizer pleaded for calm. 'We will absolutely not be shaken!' a protest leader shouted on stage. 'Anyone who accepts this ruling and prepares for an early presidential election is our enemy.' No major violence has been reported by late afternoon. 'Political risks related to domestic polarization and policy instability remain,' Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said. 'But the Constitutional Court's unanimous ruling has removed a major source of uncertainty. Korean government institutions have withstood a volatile mix of legislative obstruction and executive overreach that posed the greatest challenge to democracy in a generation.' Korea faces an election with deep divisions An election will be held within two months for a new president. But a festering divide over Yoon's impeachment could complicate South Korea's efforts to deal with crucial issues like President Donald Trump's tariffs and other 'America First' policies, observers say. Yoon said in a statement issued via his defense team that he deeply regrets failing to live up to the public's expectations, but stopped short of explicitly accepting the verdict. There have been fears he would incite efforts to resist his removal, as he earlier vowed to fight to the end. He added that he will pray for the country and its people. 'It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve our nation,' Yoon said. Yoon's ruling People Power Party said it would accept the decision, but one of Yoon's lawyers, Yoon Kap-keun, called the ruling 'completely incomprehensible' and a 'pure political decision." Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country's acting leader, vowed to maintain public safety and order and ensure a smooth transition to the next administration. Surveys show Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, is the early favorite to win the upcoming presidential by-election, though he faces several trials for corruption and other charges. 'It will be an uphill battle for the conservative party to win a snap presidential election,' said Duyeon Kim, a senior analyst at the Center for a New American Security in Washington. 'If Lee wins, South Korea's foreign policy will likely look very different from what the U.S. and like-minded countries have enjoyed during Yoon's presidency because of the demands of the progressive base.' Lee welcomed the ruling and credited the South Korean people for 'protecting our democratic republic.' Crisis started with a night of chaos four months ago Martial law lasted only six hours, but left behind a political crisis, rattling financial markets and unsettling the country's diplomatic partners. After announcing martial law late at night on Dec. 3, Yoon, a conservative, sent hundreds of soldiers to the liberal opposition-controlled National Assembly, election offices and other sites. Special operations soldiers smashed windows at the assembly and scuffled with protesters, evoking traumatic memories of the country's past military rules among many South Koreans. Enough lawmakers, including some from the ruling party, managed to enter the assembly to vote down Yoon's decree unanimously. Some senior military and police officers sent to the assembly testified Yoon ordered them to drag out lawmakers to block the vote on his decree or to detain his political rivals. Yoon says the troops were deployed to the assembly simply to maintain order. Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly on Dec. 14. The assembly accused him of violating the constitution and other laws by suppressing assembly activities, attempting to detain politicians, and undermining peace across the country. In his final testimony at the Constitutional Court hearing, Yoon said his decree was a desperate attempt to draw public support of his fight against the 'wickedness' of the Democratic Party, which had obstructed his agenda, impeached top officials and slashed the government's budget bill. He earlier called the National Assembly 'a den of criminals' and 'anti-state forces.' The Constitutional Court ruled Yoon infringed upon the assembly's right to demand martial law be lifted, the freedom of political party activities and the neutrality of the military. It also said Yoon's political impasse with the opposition wasn't the type of emergency situation that required martial law and that Yoon's decree lacked required legal procedures such as deliberation by a formal Cabinet meeting. Yoon still faces criminal charges Yoon has been indicted on charges of rebellion in connection with his decree, a charge that carries the death penalty or a life sentence if convicted. He became the first South Korean president to be arrested or indicted while in office. Yoon was released from jail in March after a Seoul district court cancelled his arrest. That allows him to stand trial without detention. His removal from office also costs Yoon the presidential immunity that protected him from most criminal prosecutions. This means he could face other criminal charges, such as abuse of power, in connection with his martial law decree, some observers say. ___ Associated Press writer Foster Klug contributed to this report. Hyung-jin Kim And Kim Tong-hyung, The Associated Press
Asharq Al-Awsat
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
South Korea Court Ousts Impeached President Yoon
South Korea's Constitutional Court on Friday unanimously upheld President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment over his disastrous martial law declaration, stripping him of office and triggering fresh elections after months of political turmoil. Yoon, 64, was suspended by lawmakers over his December 3 attempt to subvert civilian rule, which saw armed soldiers deployed to parliament. He was also arrested on insurrection charges as part of a separate criminal case. Millions of Koreans watched the court hand down its verdict live on television, with the country's main messaging app KakaoTalk telling AFP that some users were experiencing delays due to a sudden surge in traffic. "Given the serious negative impact and far-reaching consequences of the respondent's constitutional violations... (We) dismiss respondent President Yoon Suk Yeol," acting court President Moon Hyung-bae said while delivering the ruling. Yoon's removal, which is effective immediately, triggers fresh presidential elections, which must be held within 60 days. Authorities will announce a date in the coming days. The decision was unanimous, and the judges have been given additional security protection by police. Outside the court, AFP reporters heard Yoon supporters shouting death threats. Yoon's actions "violate the core principles of the rule of law and democratic governance," the judges said in their ruling. Sending armed soldiers to parliament in a bid to prevent lawmakers from voting down his decree "violated the political neutrality of the armed forces." He deployed troops for "political purposes", the judges said. "In the end, the respondent's unconstitutional and illegal acts are a betrayal of the people's trust and constitute a serious violation of the law that cannot be tolerated," the judges ruled. Opposition party lawmakers clapped their hands as the verdict was announced, calling it "historic", while lawmakers from Yoon's party filed out of the courtroom. Impeached Yoon is the second South Korean leader to be impeached by the court after Park Geun-hye in 2017. After weeks of tense hearings, judges spent more than a month deliberating the case, while public unrest swelled. Police raised the alert to the highest possible level Friday. Officers encircled the courthouse with a ring of vehicles and stationed special operations teams in the vicinity. Anti-Yoon protesters gathered outdoors to watch a live broadcast of the verdict, cheering at many of the lines and holding hands. When Yoon's removal was announced, they erupted into wild cheers, with some bursting into tears. "When the dismissal was finally declared, the cheers were so loud it felt like the rally was being swept away," Kim Min-ji, a 25-year-old anti-Yoon protester, told AFP. "We cried tears and shouted that we, the citizens, had won!" Yoon, who defended his attempt to subvert civilian rule as necessary to root out "anti-state forces", still commands the backing of extreme supporters. Outside his residence, his supporters shouted and swore, with some bursting into tears as the verdict was announced. This year, at least two staunch Yoon supporters have died after self-immolating in protest of the controversial leader's impeachment. A police official told AFP that one person had been arrested in the vicinity of the court, with others trying to destroy police buses with batons. Embassies -- including the American, French, Russian and Chinese -- have warned citizens to avoid mass gatherings in connection with Friday's verdict. The decision shows "first and foremost the resilience of South Korean democracy," Byunghwan Son, professor at George Mason University, told AFP. "The very fact that the system did not collapse suggests that the Korean democracy can survive even the worst challenge against it -- a coup attempt." Trade winds The Korean won jumped sharply against the US dollar immediately after the court announced Yoon's dismissal, with Seoul's benchmark KOSPI up 8.62 points, or 0.35 percent. South Korea has spent the four months since the martial law declaration without an effective head of state, as the opposition impeached Yoon's stand-in -- only for him to be later reinstated by a court ruling. The leadership vacuum came during a series of crises and headwinds, including an aviation disaster and the deadliest wildfires in the country's history. This week, South Korea was slammed with 25 percent tariffs on exports to key ally the United States after President Donald Trump unveiled global, so-called reciprocal levies. Since December, South Korea has been "partially paralyzed -- it has been without a legitimate president and has been challenged by natural disasters and the political disaster called Trump," Vladimir Tikhonov, Korean Studies professor at the University of Oslo, told AFP. Yoon also faces a separate criminal trial on charges of insurrection over the martial law bid. Acting president Han Duck-soo will remain at the helm until the new elections are held.
The Hill
04-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Yoon Suk Yeol removed as South Korea's president over short-lived martial law
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's Constitutional Court unanimously removed Yoon Suk Yeol from office Friday, ending his tumultuous presidency and setting up a new election, four months after he threw the nation into turmoil with an ill-fated declaration of martial law. The verdict capped a dramatic fall for Yoon, a former star prosecutor who became president in 2022, just a year after he entered politics. In a nationally televised hearing, the court's acting chief Moon Hyung-bae said the eight-member bench found Yoon's actions were unconstitutional and had a grave impact. 'By declaring martial law in breach of the constitution and other laws, the defendant brought back the history of abusing state emergency decrees, shocked the people and caused confusion in the society, economy, politics, diplomacy and all other areas,' Moon said. 'Given the negative impact on constitutional order caused by the defendant's violation of laws and its ripple effects are grave, we find that the benefits of upholding the constitution by dismissing the defendant far outweigh the national losses from the dismissal of the president,' the justice concluded. Protesters erupt in jubilation and sorrow Anti-Yoon protesters near the court erupted into tears and danced when the verdict was announced in the late morning. Two women wept as they hugged and an old man near them leapt to his feet and screamed with joy. The crowd later began marching through Seoul streets. Outside Yoon's official residence, many supporters cried, screamed and yelled at journalists when they saw the news of the verdict on a giant TV screen. But they quickly cooled down after their organizer pleaded for calm. 'We will absolutely not be shaken!' a protest leader shouted on stage. 'Anyone who accepts this ruling and prepares for an early presidential election is our enemy.' No major violence has been reported by late afternoon. Korea faces an election with deep divisions An election will be held within two months for a new president. But a festering divide over Yoon's impeachment could complicate South Korea's efforts to deal with crucial issues like President Donald Trump's tariffs and other 'America First' policies, observers say. Yoon said in a statement issued via his defense team that he deeply regrets failing to live up to the public's expectations, but stopped short of explicitly accepting the verdict. There have been fears he would incite efforts to resist his removal, as he earlier vowed to fight to the end. He added that he will pray for the country and its people. 'It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve our nation,' Yoon said. Yoon's ruling People Power Party said it would accept the decision, but one of Yoon's lawyers, Yoon Kap-keun, called the ruling 'completely incomprehensible' and a 'pure political decision.' Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country's acting leader, vowed to maintain public safety and order and ensure a smooth transition to the next administration. Surveys show Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, is the early favorite to win the upcoming presidential by-election, though he faces several trials for corruption and other charges. Lee welcomed the ruling and credited the South Korean people for 'protecting our democratic republic.' Crisis started with a night of chaos four months ago Martial law lasted only six hours, but left behind a political crisis, rattling financial markets and unsettling the country's diplomatic partners. After announcing martial law late at night on Dec. 3, Yoon sent hundreds of soldiers to the National Assembly, election offices and other sites. Special operations soldiers smashed windows at the assembly and scuffled with protesters, evoking traumatic memories of the country's past military rules among many South Koreans. Enough lawmakers, including some from the ruling party, managed to enter the assembly to vote down Yoon's decree unanimously. Some senior military and police officers sent to the assembly testified Yoon ordered them to drag out lawmakers to block the vote on his decree or to detain his political rivals. Yoon says the troops were deployed to the assembly simply to maintain order. Yoon, 64, a conservative, was impeached by the National Assembly on Dec. 14. The assembly accused him of violating the constitution and other laws by suppressing assembly activities, attempting to detain politicians, and undermining peace across the country. In his final testimony at the Constitutional Court hearing, Yoon said his decree was a desperate attempt to draw public support of his fight against the 'wickedness' of the Democratic Party, which had obstructed his agenda, impeached top officials and slashed the government's budget bill. He earlier called the National Assembly 'a den of criminals' and 'anti-state forces.' The Constitutional Court ruled Yoon infringed upon the Assembly's right to demand martial law be lifted, the freedom of political party activities and the neutrality of the military. It also said Yoon's political impasse with the opposition wasn't the type of emergency situation that required martial law and that Yoon's decree lacked required legal procedures such as deliberation by a formal Cabinet meeting. Yoon still faces criminal charges Yoon has been indicted on charges of rebellion in connection with his decree, a charge that carries the death penalty or a life sentence if convicted. He became the first South Korean president to be arrested or indicted while in office. Yoon was released from jail in March after a Seoul district court ruled he did not have to be detained during that trial process. His removal from office also costs Yoon the presidential immunity that protected him from most criminal prosecutions. This means he could face other criminal charges, such as abuse of power, in connection with his martial law decree, some observers say.
Korea Herald
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Nation gains closure with Constitutional Court ruling to remove Yoon
K-pop anthems, tearful protests show nation divided The Constitutional Court of Korea voted unanimously to remove President Yoon Suk Yeol from office, delivering a definitive verdict on Friday that punctuated months of political turmoil triggered by his short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024. As interim Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae began reading out the 8-0 decision at 11 a.m., tens of thousands of South Koreans fell silent across Seoul's divided protest sites. Smartphones shot upward to capture the moment as loudspeakers broadcast the verdict through streets where police buses formed barricades between opposing crowds. "President Yoon Suk Yeol violated his duty as the nation's commander-in-chief when he sent troops to the National Assembly in December," Justice Moon said, his voice echoing across the capital. The martial law declaration had "broadly violated the citizens' rights and damaged the republic's order," he clarified. Then came the pronouncement that sealed the president's fate: "In a unanimous vote, the court upholds the National Assembly's motion to impeach the president." Near the Constitutional Court, just blocks apart but worlds away politically, South Koreans responded with emotions as divided as the nation itself. Anti-Yoon protesters erupted in jubilation, embracing one another with tears streaming down their faces. Many jumped up and down, pumping fists skyward as K-pop anthems — for some time a soundtrack to the progressive protests here — blasted from portable speakers. "Into the New World" by Girls' Generation reverberated through the crowd as demonstrators linked arms and swayed. One protest leader seized a microphone to lead a triumphant chant: "We won!" Meanwhile, supporters of the ousted president received the news with disbelief. At Jongno's Tapgol Park, a longtime gathering place of retirees who come to play the board game Go and get free meals from a soup kitchen, aged protesters clutching Korean flags sat motionless, some wiping tears. Others shouted profanities at the screens broadcasting the court's ruling. "How can it be 8-0? They must have bribed the justices," cried a middle-aged woman near the presidential residence in Hannam-dong. Nearby, a cluster of protesters hung their heads in disappointment. Early morning standoff The nation's political divide was on stark display throughout the morning as throngs of protesters were gathering across Seoul. In some locations, the two sides occupied opposite ends of the same streets, emblematic of the stark polarization of South Korean politics in recent years. Near Anguk Station in central Seoul, a group of anti-Yoon demonstrators had camped overnight, their ranks swelling by early morning. Rainbow flags waved alongside banners reading "Impeach the insurrectionist-in-chief" and "Democracy shall prevail," as speakers blared aespa's "Supernova" — another K-pop track widely adopted by the movement. Barely a kilometer away at Tapgol Park, clusters of older Yoon supporters had gathered from the early morning. Many wore headbands supporting the president and carried South Korean flags, a symbol of conservative protests. Some confronted passersby, calling them "commies" and demanding to know their political affiliations. Meanwhile, the scene at Gwanghwamun, Seoul's central boulevard traditionally used for mass demonstrations, was surprisingly sparsely populated after firebrand evangelical pastor Jun Kwang-hoon relocated his pro-Yoon rally to Hannam-dong the previous night. Large screens were installed nonetheless, displaying live feeds from other protest sites. By 10 a.m., the area around the presidential residence in Hannam-dong had become a study in contrasts. Police in riot gear created buffer zones between opposing crowds positioned just hundreds of meters apart. Reporters passed through multiple ID checkpoints to access the secured perimeter where the sides gathered in anticipation. Verdict's release When the court's ruling began streaming live, a profound hush descended across both sides of the divide. The crowd listened as the Constitutional Court methodically dismissed, one by one, all points raised by Yoon's defense — from claims of presidential immunity to questions about procedural technicalities. The reaction to the verdict played out like a real-time illustration of the nation's political schism. At the anti-Yoon rally sites, celebration erupted instantly. Kwon Oh-hyeok, head of Candle Action, a civic group that has led anti-Yoon rallies in recent years, addressed the jubilant crowd near the Constitutional Court: "We stand at a new starting line today. We've proven that the people are the true owners of this republic. Let's fight on to build a new democratic government!" A former Marine in his 40s among the anti-Yoon protesters took a more pointed approach. "Now that the Yoon regime has been decapitated, it's time to dissolve the People Power Party as an unconstitutional insurrectionist party," he exclaimed. "We can't let up now." Particularly emotional was the mother of a victim of the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush disaster, which had become a rallying point for Yoon's critics. "We didn't give up, and we won," she said. "But this dismissal is just the beginning. Now we can finally begin proper mourning for our loved ones." By noon, anti-Yoon demonstrators had begun marching westward from around the Constitutional Court toward Gyeongbokgung, singing along to aespa's "Whiplash" as they moved through the streets. For weeks, pro-Yoon speakers had invoked the "right to resist" and warned of massive demonstrations should the court rule against the president. Their rhetoric stoked fears of potential unrest, with some even suggesting that South Korea could face a civil crisis if Yoon were removed. However, the response from Yoon's supporters remained restrained. While some protesters had run-ins with police — one was arrested for breaking a police bus window near the Constitutional Court — most expressed their anger through shouts and tears. Small clusters of protesters lingered, their heated exchanges with police officers occasionally escalating into shouting matches before subsiding again. Near the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Kim Kyung-hee, 54, stood clutching a Korean flag, tears welling in her eyes. "We need to resist like during the April 19 Revolution," she said, referring to the 1960 student uprising that led to President Syngman Rhee's resignation. "I cannot accept the court's decision. The real issue is election fraud. Yoon should have received more votes, and other elections have been rigged too," she said, vowing to remain at the protest all day and attend a planned demonstration at Gwanghwamun the following day. A group of four middle-aged women confronted police officers, saying: "Wake up! You're becoming Lee Jae-myung's dogs," referring to the opposition leader widely considered a front-runner in the upcoming presidential election. "If Lee becomes president, we could be imprisoned like in Hong Kong." The feared explosion of violence did not materialize. Even the Rev. Jun, whose fiery rhetoric had riled up crowds for months and who, earlier in the morning, had urged resistance, struck an unexpectedly conciliatory tone after the ruling. "Millions should gather at Gwanghwamun by 1 p.m. tomorrow," he told the crowd in Yongsan. "But we absolutely must not fight with the police. If we get hit, we take it. We must follow the law to pass down a free republic to future generations." By early afternoon, many pro-Yoon demonstrators across Seoul had left the protest sites, even as debate broke out among those who remained about whether to stay or go home. At Tapgol Park, the crowd had thinned considerably, while small clusters of supporters near the Constitutional Court huddled in conversation and weighed their options. Hundreds of Yoon's supporters in front of the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan, just across the street from the presidential office, began dispersing by noon. A woman in her 60s, who requested anonymity, said with visible frustration, "I've been coming out here for four months now, rain or snow. I'm about ready to pass out." Accusing the media of bias, she added,"I don't accept this ruling, but I'll keep showing up at protests. This isn't a country our kids can live in anymore." In a symbolic gesture marking the end of Yoon's presidency, government officials lowered the flag bearing the presidential emblem — the image of two phoenixes rising over Korea's national flower — from the presidential office building in Yongsan. The Korea Herald reporters Kim Jae-heun, Park Yuna, Jie Ye-eun, Park Jun-hee, Lee Si-jin, Hwang Dong-hee, Lee Jung-joo and No Kyung-min contributed to this report.
