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Korea Herald
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Farmers on tractors, trucks march on Seoul, calling for Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment
A convoy of tractors and trucks rolled into southern Seoul on Tuesday, as members of the Korean Peasants League held a protest calling for the impeachment of suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol. The protest was scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at Namtaeryeong Pass in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, where members of the Korean Peasants League — many of them farmers from rural provinces — gathered with flags and banners, chanting slogans demanding Yoon's immediate removal. The group announced plans to march toward Gwanghwamun in central Seoul, but was blocked by police at the pass, resulting in a standoff between protesters and police on the southern edge of Seoul as they entered from surrounding Gyeonggi Province. By Tuesday afternoon, traffic near Namtaeryeong began to slow, with farm vehicles and heavy trucks stuck on the roads, causing significant congestion along major routes in the area. The use of tractors in the protest, in particular, was a central point of dispute between the group and authorities. Earlier on Sunday, the Seoul Metropolitan Police announced it had issued a ban on the use of tractors in their march, citing concerns over public safety and traffic congestion. In response, the group filed for an injunction against the ban, and the court accepted their request — allowing up to 20 trucks through between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., but explicitly prohibiting tractors from entering the city. However, the Korean Peasants League criticized the decision as an excessive infringement of the freedom of assembly and moved ahead with both trucks and tractors as planned, defying the court's partial restriction. To maintain public order and prevent clashes between opposing protest groups, the Seoul Metropolitan Police also mobilized 27 mobile police squad units — totaling some 1,700 officers — with additional support from nine units dispatched by the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police. 'The police will guarantee the freedom of assembly to the fullest extent within the boundaries permitted by the court,' the Seoul police said in a statement. 'However, any actions that go beyond what has been allowed will be met with strict enforcement based on law and principle.' According to official protest notices filed with the police, around 2,000 protesters calling for Yoon's impeachment and 3,000 opposing it were expected to participate in rallies throughout the day. Tuesday's rally marked the Korean Peasants League's second tractor-led protest in recent months. In late December, the group attempted to march to the presidential residence in Hannam-dong in a convoy of about 30 tractors, resulting in a 28-hour standoff with police at Namtaeryeong. Many people flocked to the site in the middle of the night to show solidarity with the farmers against what they said was an unfair use of the police's authority to protect the president, and they eventually marched to Hannam-dong. However, several leaders of the protest were later booked for investigation. With the Constitutional Court expected to deliver its ruling on Yoon's impeachment later this week or early next week, demonstrations from both sides are anticipated to remain intense at least until the verdict is announced.
Korea Herald
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Seoul police prohibit tractor convoy of farmers calling for Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment
Police cite traffic issues, possible altercation with pro-Yoon protestors South Korean police on Sunday prohibited members of Korean Peasants League from using their tractors in a protest calling on the Constitutional Court to confirm suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment. The League had applied to have 20 tractors and 50 trucks take part in Tuesday's protest, called the Jeon Bong-jun Protest Group's Second March -- named after the late 19th-century peasant who was one of the leaders of the Donghak armed revolt against corrupt officials. The group had planned to gather at Namtaeryeong in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul at 2 p.m., and head to Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul and take part in a peaceful protest commencing at 7 p.m. that day. But the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said they are not allowed to use tractors and trucks for the protest, citing traffic congestion and concern for possible altercation with other protest groups. The League said they are submitting an administrative complaint against the police decision for infringing on the freedom of assembly. Amid tense atmosphere, 2nd tractor protest in Seoul sparks police concerns Since Yoon's Dec. 3 declaration of martial law -- for which he is undergoing criminal and impeachment trial for charges of leading an insurrection and abuse of power -- protests have occurred regularly across the country and particularly in Seoul by both people for and against his removal from office. Korean Peasants League had driven tractors and trucks to Seoul for a similar protest Dec. 21-22 where they were also blocked by the police. It resulted in a 28-hour stand-off near Namtaeryeong pass on the outskirts of Seoul, and with them ultimately marching to Hannam-dong, Seoul, where the presidential residence is located. Some of the protesting farmers are under investigation charged with the general obstruction of traffic, under Article 185 of the Criminal Act. Many in the opposition have praised how during the standoff, many people flocked to the site in the middle of the night to support the farmers and show solidarity against what they said was an unfair use of the police's authority to protect the president. On the other hand, the police have raised concern that the use of heavy machinery in such a protest can lead to violence, particularly with Yoon's supporters holding large-scale protests regularly. "It appears that even the slightest spark could lead to a fire," a police official was quoted as saying in a recent media report, referring to their concerns about the possibility of violence amid the tense atmosphere. "A fight using machinery, not just between bodies, can lead to a seriously dangerous situation." Some users of pro-conservative websites have written posts about responses to the tractor protests, although no specific plans have been reported to the authorities as of yet. The farmers' late December tractor protest did not result in any violence, but the Jan. 19 mob attack on Seoul court by pro-Yoon protestors did lead to scores of injuries for both the police and civilians.
