SEOUL: Rival camps of South Korean protesters faced off in chaotic scenes outside the presidential compound on Thursday (Jan 2), some trying to protect the impeached president inside from arrest, as others called for his immediate detention.
President Yoon Suk Yeol was last month impeached by lawmakers over his ill-fated martial law declaration and investigators probing him over insurrection have a warrant to detain him which they have vowed to execute before Monday.
But hundreds of Yoon’s die-hard supporters, including far-right YouTube personalities and evangelical Christian leaders, gathered outside his compound in Seoul, facing off with the anti-Yoon camp and riot police.
One woman threw herself in front of a police bus, spreading her arms across the windshield, while other Yoon supporters lay down in the street – eyes closed, arms crossed in front of them – when police attempted to move them.
One protester, Park Shi-dong, 74, told AFP he was there to “fight to the death to save liberal democracy,” saying Yoon’s imposition of martial law was justified and he should not be removed from office.
“Impeachment invalid” the protestors yelled as they waved South Korean flags and red lightsticks.
“Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon Suk Yeol, we protect! We protect!” they yelled.
Dozens of people were livestreaming the protests on YouTube channels, AFP reporters saw.
