Supporters and opponents of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held demonstrations in Seoul on Saturday.
Notably, the protests have taken place in Seoul a week after the impeachment of the South Korean President,for imposition of a short-lived martial law.
Yoon’s supporters and opponents held protests several hundred metres apart in Gwanghwamun in the heart of the capital.
Tens of thousands of anti-Yoon protesters, dominated by young people gathered around 3 p.m. in Seoul.
They waved K-Pop light sticks and signs with messages such as “Arrest! Imprison! Insurrection chief Yoon Suk Yeol” to catchy K-pop tunes.
There were no clashes between the supporters and opponents as of 4 p.m. (0700 GMT)
“I wanted to ask Yoon how he could do this to a democracy in the 21st century,” said 27-year-old Cho Sung-hyo
“I think if he really has a conscience, he should step down,” Cho added.
Several thousand pro-Yoon protesters, chiefly older and more conservative people opposing Yoon’s removal and supporting the restoration of his powers, had gathered since around midday.
“These rigged (parliamentary) elections eat away at this country, and at the core are socialist communist powers, so about 10 of us came together and said the same thing – we absolutely oppose impeachment,” said Lee Young-su, a 62-year-old businessman.
Yoon’s Presidential powers are suspended but he remains in office.
He has not complied with various summons by authorities investigating whether martial law, constituted insurrection.
Yoon declared the martial law on December 3 and rescinded it within hours.
He has also not responded to the Constitutional Court’s attempts to contact him.
The Constitutional Court will decide whether to remove him from office or restore his presidential powers.
The Court plans to hold its first preparatory hearing on Friday.
Yoon had cited claims of election hacking and “anti-State” pro-North Korean sympathizers as justification for imposing martial law.
The National Election Commission has however denied such claims.
(With inputs from Reuters)
