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Universities on alert as student impeachment rallies get testy nationwide

Published: 03 Mar. 2025, 16:58

A protester dressed up as the Joker speaks against the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol at a rally in front of the main gate of Chung-Ang University at Dongjak District, southern Seoul, on March. 3. [NEWS1]

As rallies for and against the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol continue on college campuses, universities are on high alert ahead of the new semester, with reports of physical clashes and altercations on their grounds.

Student declarations opposing the impeachment took place at Seoul's Chung-Ang University and regional campuses like Jeonbuk National University, Chungnam National University and Chungbuk National University on Monday.

At Hanyang University in eastern Seoul and Sookmyung Women's University in central Seoul, students are collecting signatures for a statement opposing the impeachment. These rallies and declarations are not organized by official student unions but by groups of students with similar political views.

At Chung-Ang University, a student group opposing Yoon’s impeachment reported to the Dongjak Police Precinct in southern Seoul that it would hold a rally with about 150 attendees in front of the main gate. The university administration denied permission to protest on campus, citing concerns that a large number of outsiders would participate.

“Although the police will be managing order, the school will also deploy personnel,” said a university staffer. For similar reasons, a rally at Soongsil University in southern Seoul on Feb. 24 was also held outside the campus gates.

Protesters supporting the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol rally in front of the main gate of Chung-Ang University in Dongjak District, southern Seoul, on March. 3. [NEWS1]

Protests related to the impeachment on campuses have taken on a "counter-rally" nature, with opposing sides deliberately occupying locations ahead of their rivals.

Protests both for and against the impeachment at Yonsei University in western Seoul on Feb. 10, Seoul National University (SNU) in southern Seoul on Feb. 15 and 17 and Korea University on Feb. 21 devolved into shouting matches and scuffles.

The involvement of YouTubers and other outsiders in student rallies has further inflamed tensions.

A man participating in a rally supporting the impeachment was arrested for assaulting a police officer maintaining order at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) in eastern Seoul on Feb. 28.

Protesters opposing the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol rally in front of the main gate of Chung-Ang University in Dongjak District, southern Seoul, on March. 3. [NEWS1]

The university’s student council issued a statement the next day via social media saying they were obligated to ensure students’ freedom of assembly and association, but most participants of the rally were from external organizations.

The statement added that the council would work with the school's administration to develop response protocols to prevent similar disruptions from affecting HUFS members and Dongdaemun District residents.

A male YouTuber attending a rally opposing Yoon's impeachment grabbed a female student by the collar at Ewha Womans University in western Seoul on Feb. 26, fueling public criticism of the increasingly aggressive nature of campus demonstrations.

Universities are considering measures such as requesting police support to ensure student safety.

Protesters opposing the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol rally in front of the main gate of Chung-Ang University in Dongjak District, southern Seoul, on March. 3. [NEWS1]

“Rallies involving outsiders will not be permitted under school regulations,” said a private university staffer in Seoul. “Even if students protest the decision, we will not reverse it.” SNU said that it will deploy as many faculty and security staff as needed if protests pose a threat to student safety or disrupt the academic environment.

However, universities are struggling to predict the scale and nature of the protests, particularly given the involvement of external participants.

“Since these rallies are not organized by official student bodies such as the student council, it is difficult to track their schedules or expected turnout,” said a Sookmyung Women’s University staffer.

“We will closely monitor the situation to prevent tensions from escalating.”

BY SEO JI-WON, KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]