Lee Jae-myung Faces Second Day of Destiny Amid Divided Protests in Seocho-dong

On November 25 at 2 PM, the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu will hold the first trial regarding Lee Jae-myung's (이재명) alleged perjury. Following the previous trial concerning the Public Official Election Act, large-scale rallies are expected to take place once again in front of the Seocho District Court, with supporters and opponents of Lee Jae-myung gathering in significant numbers.

The core support group for Lee, the Democratic Party of Korea's National Innovation Council (더민주전국혁신회의), plans to occupy two lanes in front of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office starting at 11 AM, anticipating around 2,000 attendees, a decrease from the 5,000 who participated in the last rally. Police estimate that about 1,500 people will show up.

From early morning, supporters dressed in blue, the color representing the Democratic Party, were busy preparing for the rally, unloading supplies from a truck set up in front of the prosecutors' office. Additionally, a booth was being established to collect signatures for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol (윤석열), aiming for 10 million signatures.

Traffic congestion has been reported as police began controlling the roads in front of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. According to the Seoul Traffic Information System (TOPIS), traffic on Banpo-daero in front of the prosecutors' office is moving at a crawl, with speeds of 3 km/h from the Gyodae entrance to Seocho Station and 19 km/h from Seocho Station to Seoul St. Mary's Hospital.

Meanwhile, the New Liberal Alliance (신자유연대), which advocates for Lee's arrest, is set to hold a rally in front of the Seoul Central District Court starting at noon, expecting around 1,500 participants. This group will also occupy two lanes and has increased its expected attendance by 500 compared to the last rally.

The distance between the two protest sites is only 300 meters, prompting police to deploy 1,500 officers from 47 mobile units to prevent any conflicts between the two groups. Authorities noted that while both rallies are officially scheduled to start at 11 AM and noon, they anticipate that participants may begin gathering 1 to 2 hours earlier.

In preparation for potential disruptions, both the Seoul Central District Court and the Seoul High Court are on alert. The Seoul High Court announced an 'Order Maintenance Plan for November 25' on November 22, which prohibits general vehicles from entering the premises, except for essential service vehicles. A court official stated, "During the previous trial on November 15, many general vehicles attempted to enter the court despite prior notices, causing traffic congestion. We are requesting cooperation to avoid similar issues today."