Protests Erupt in Seoul Against President Yoon's Impeachment

On the afternoon of April 5, 2025, a rally organized by the Free Unification Party and the Republic of Korea Restoration Movement took place in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, opposing the Constitutional Court's decision to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol. The demonstrators declared, "The impeachment is invalid, and there will be no presidential election in June," expressing their discontent with the court's ruling.

Around 1 PM, despite the rainy weather, approximately 500 citizens (according to police estimates) gathered in front of the Donghwa Duty-Free Shop, donning raincoats and holding umbrellas. Many waved the South Korean flag (태극기) and the American flag (성조기). They adorned their umbrellas with stickers reading slogans like "Eradicate anti-national forces!" and "We will exercise our right to resist!" The crowd chanted various slogans, including calls for the punishment of those they accused of orchestrating a coup and demands to dismantle the Constitutional Court. By 2:30 PM, the number of participants surged to around 18,000.

As a representative from the Free Unification Party addressed the crowd, stating, "We fought to protect the president with our lives, but we could not prevent this illegal and fraudulent impeachment by the Constitutional Court. I sincerely apologize to you all," the atmosphere turned somber. Some attendees responded with words of encouragement, saying, "It's okay" and "Stay strong."

Many participants expressed disbelief over the Constitutional Court's decision to impeach President Yoon. Namgoong Il (54), who traveled from Namdong-gu, Incheon, shared his feelings of despair, stating, "I felt that the court favored the National Assembly's position over that of the president. The president explained why and how he intended to deploy the military, but it seems that was not well received." He added, "I will continue to participate in rallies for the next two months," but acknowledged the need for careful consideration of their long-term direction.

Choi Hong-kyu (84), a resident of Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, who has not missed a rally since the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, expressed his distress, saying, "I couldn't sleep last night. How can they impeach a president who stepped forward for this country and its people?"

Myeong Mo (66), who came from Eunpyeong-gu, remarked, "Today's weather reflects the feelings of the conservative faction who feel robbed of their president; even the heavens are weeping. I cannot accept this politically motivated fraudulent impeachment by the Constitutional Court. Although the unanimous ruling is disheartening, I cannot simply kneel and accept it, so I came to the streets of Gwanghwamun."

Lee Mo (39), a resident of Incheon, who wore over 20 'Stop the steal' badges, expressed his surprise at the unanimous ruling, saying, "I expected the Constitutional Court to provide stability, but I was taken aback by the unanimous decision. I also feel resentment towards the People Power Party for preparing for an early election despite losing the president to a fraudulent impeachment." He urged, "We must not be swept away by public opinion; our voices need to be heard."

Despite the rain, nearly 20,000 citizens participated in the rally, though this number fell short of the previous week's turnout. On March 29, a rally organized by the Free Unification Party and the Republic of Korea Restoration Movement drew around 30,000 participants (according to police estimates), while a Save Korea rally in Yeouido attracted approximately 9,600 attendees. The Save Korea group canceled its planned rally on April 5 following the Constitutional Court's decision to impeach President Yoon.