A second impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol will be put to a vote at the National Assembly's plenary session at 4 p.m. on the 14th. Ahead of the vote, large-scale rallies will be held in Yeouido and Gwanghwamun, Seoul.
◇ rallies in Hannam-dong and Yongsan as well as Yeouido and Gwanghwamun
According to the police, the "Emergency Action for Yoon's Immediate Resignation and Social Reform," which consists of around 1,500 civic organizations, will hold a rally in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido at 3 p.m. on this day, with 200,000 participants urging for President Yoon's impeachment. The group plans to end the assembly if the impeachment bill is passed but has reported to the police that it will march towards the People Power Party headquarters if the bill is rejected.
Ahead of the main rally by the Emergency Action, various groups will hold preparatory rallies urging for President Yoon's impeachment in Yeouido. The Cargo Solidarity will hold a rally from 1 to 3 p.m., and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions from 2 to 3 p.m., calling for the "government's resignation." The Cargo Solidarity's rally will have 10,000 participants, while the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions' rally will include 5,000 participants, marching towards Full Gospel Church and KBS Hall, respectively.
From 1 to 3 p.m., the Revolutionary Socialist Party will hold an impeachment rally near Exit 1 of the National Assembly Station with 10,000 participants, while the New Future Democratic Party will hold a rally from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the sidewalks in front of Gates 1 and 2 of the National Assembly, with 100 participants urging for impeachment.
Candlelight Action will hold an impeachment rally on Yeoui-daero from 1:30 to 3 p.m. with 5,000 participants. Progressive University Students Net will organize an impeachment rally with 20,000 participants on Yeouigongwon-ro or Ehangno. The Korean University Students’ Progressive Alliance will hold an impeachment resolution meeting with 100 participants on the sidewalks in front of Gates 1 and 2 of the National Assembly from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
The Citizens' Coalition for Peace Recovery will hold a rally demanding President Yoon's impeachment near the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, from 2 p.m. with 100 participants, as reported to the police.
Conservative groups will gather near Gwanghwamun. The Liberty Unification Party will hold an anti-impeachment rally from 3 to 8 p.m. from Donghwa Duty-Free Shop to City Hall Station, occupying all lanes on Sejong-daero. The event is named "Purge of the Pro-North Korea Faction," with 30,000 participants reported.
The "New Freedom Coalition" will hold a "support for President Yoon" rally from 4 to 5 p.m. near the north gate of the War Memorial, close to the Yongsan Presidential Office, with 500 participants expected. The National Defense Preservation Corps of the Free Korea will hold a "protect Yoon Suk-yeol regime" rally in front of the National Assembly from 12 p.m. with 60 participants.
The "Patriot Patrol Team" will hold a "support for People's Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon" rally in front of the People's Power Party office in Yeouido starting at 9 a.m. with 100 participants reported.
Additionally, the "National Movement Headquarters for the Taegeukgi Revolution" will hold a rally in front of Daehanmun from 2 to 5:30 p.m. with 2,000 participants, advocating for "the nullification of former President Park Geun-hye's impeachment and the restoration of constitutional order."
◇ temporary restrooms installed in Yeouido and Gwanghwamun, increased operations on subway lines 5 and 9
Traffic congestion is expected with rallies occurring throughout the city. The police plan to deploy additional traffic officers and implement measures for vehicle detours. A police official advised, 'Please use public transportation as much as possible and check traffic information in advance if a vehicle is necessary.'
The Seoul Metropolitan Government anticipates a larger crowd than on the 7th, deploying enhanced public safety measures in Yeouido and Gwanghwamun. A total of 1,031 personnel from the city, local districts, fire, and police (traffic control) will commence emergency operations. They will utilize closed-circuit (CC) TVs for traffic and crime prevention to monitor areas with large gatherings.
In Yeouido, fire command buses and disaster safety on-site situation rooms (disaster buses) will be deployed. Temporary restrooms will be installed with a total capacity of 53 stalls, including three units near the National Assembly Station and two units in Yeouido Park. Gwanghwamun Square will have two units with a total of 20 stalls.
In Yeouido, 10 open restrooms will be available, including two near the National Assembly Station and eight in Yeouido Park. Five private buildings, including GS Caltex Yeouido gas station, Yeouido Paragon, Geumsan Building Educational Facility Welfare Center, and Wonjeong Building, will be available for use. Information on temporary, public, and private restrooms can be found on the 'Seoul Safety Nuri' website or through the 120 Dasan Call Center.
Subway operations will also increase. Line 5 will operate four additional times from 6 to 9:30 p.m., and Line 9 will run 64 more times from 1:30 to 10:30 p.m. Yeouido, National Assembly, and Gwanghwamun stations may pass without stopping if passenger congestion is excessive. On the 7th, Yeouido and National Assembly stations temporarily operated without stopping. Seoul Metro will deploy an additional 149 safety personnel at Gwanghwamun, City Hall, and Yeouido stations.