At universities, rallies opposing President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment have been held in succession, and on the 28th, the same event took place at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. Participants in the pro- and anti-impeachment rallies engaged in scuffles, coinciding with the university's entrance ceremony. New students expressed disappointment, saying, "I wanted to come to this school, but my first impression is not good."
At the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies campus in Imun-dong, Dongdaemun District, Seoul, at around 12:40 p.m., a rally in favor of the impeachment, hosted by the university's democratic alumni association, and a rally against the impeachment, reported by YouTuber Ahn Jung-gwon, were held simultaneously in front of the main gate. When a participant from Ahn's side pulled on a banner denouncing the impeachment, a woman participating in the democratic alumni association's rally fell and screamed. Ahn's supporters also tore down a large banner condemning President Yoon near the main gate and threw it to the ground.
The pushing and shoving continued for about 40 minutes until police separated both sides with barricades. One participant in the pro-impeachment rally fell to the ground after being pushed and was taken away in an ambulance. Even after the two sides were separated, they shouted slogans such as "Arrest Lee Jae-myung" and "Coup forces, get lost" from about 2 meters apart.
Approximately 200 people supported the impeachment while about 300 opposed it, and as the standoff continued, current students and graduates of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies were unable to hold their planned declaration against the impeachment by 5 p.m. Nam Min-seok, the president of the student council at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said, "Most of the people here are outsiders. There is freedom of assembly, but I hope they consider the perspective of current students."
On this day, the entrance ceremony for the 2025 academic year was held at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. New students were taken aback by the chaotic scene at the main gate. Kim Mo (19) said, "Outsiders came and made the school messy... It's a school with many foreign students, and I'm worried about how it will be perceived." Park Mo (20) said, "It's the entrance ceremony today, do we really have to do this? I've been looking forward to coming to this school, but my first impression is not good."
At Sungkyunkwan University in Myeongnyun-dong, Jongno District, a rally for and against the impeachment was held at 11 a.m. A group called "Sungkyunkwan University Anti-Impeachment Declaration Group" hosted the declaration, which was attended by about 100 people, including eight students from the university. Gu Ha-jin (Class of 2018, Department of Culture and Technology) said, "I oppose the opposition party's illegal attempt to impeach the president."
Former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who graduated in 1977 from Sungkyunkwan University, participated wearing a varsity jacket featuring the school logo. Hwang said, "Martial law is a constitutional right of the president," adding, "If he is impeached after following the Constitution, then the Constitution itself should be impeached." Around 100 students and alumni in favor of President Yoon's impeachment held signs saying, "Return your diploma, Hwang Kyo-ahn, who supports insurrection" and shouted, "Impeach Yoon Suk-yeol."