The Korean Peasants League (Jeonnong) is continuing an overnight standoff with police in a 'tractor protest.'
According to Jeonnong and others on the 22nd, the Jeon Bong-joon squad, part of Jeonnong, which initiated a protest in Seoul with tractors and other vehicles, has been in a standoff with police for approximately 20 hours.
The Jeon Bong-joon squad attempted to enter Seoul via Gwachon-daero around noon the previous day with about 30 tractors and 50 trucks, but after being stopped by police near Namtaeryeong hill in Seocho-gu, they have been holding a rally there. Of these, three tractors entered Seoul but returned to Namtaeryeong after being blocked by police at Dongjak Bridge. They are calling for the arrest of President Yoon Suk-yeol.
As citizens join the site, the scale of the rally is gradually increasing. Those gathered at the site are demanding the removal of the barricade set up by police and are chanting slogans like 'Impeach Yoon Suk-yeol,' while waving lightsticks to the rhythm of K-pop.
Jeonnong had planned to march to President’s residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, and to the rally site in Gwanghwamun calling for the resignation of President Yoon, but the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency issued a 'restriction notice' citing traffic inconvenience. Protesters, who started from various parts of the country on the 16th, attempted to move to Seoul after holding a rally in front of the government complex in Sejong City on the 19th, condemning the exercise of the reconsideration right (veto) on the Grain Management Act.
To block Jeonnong's entry, police erected barricades and controlled both directions of Gwachon-daero, leading to severe congestion. Physical clashes occurred as police pulled out a driver attempting to lift a police bus with a tractor, resulting in broken tractor windows. Police detained two people on charges of assaulting officers.