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14,000 riot police at the ready ahead of Yoon's impeachment ruling

Published: 19 Mar. 2025, 14:34

Two police officers stand in front of demonstrators protesting the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol at a rally site in Jongno Distict in central Seoul last month. [YONHAP]

Police will deploy about 14,000 riot police officers in Seoul on the day of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment ruling by the Constitutional Court to respond to possible social unrest, police officials said Wednesday.

The number represents 60 percent of all available riot control forces to be mobilized nationwide under the police's highest-level security alert, the officials said.

The court wrapped up the impeachment trial of Yoon over his Dec. 3 martial law declaration late last month and is scheduled to soon decide whether to remove him from office. The day of the sentencing hearing has yet to be announced.

Police previously planned on deploying 12,000 officers in Seoul but have increased the scale to better cope with unexpected situations that may arise from large-scale gatherings and possible attacks on major facilities, including the court and its judges.

In preparation for an emergency, criminal justice police officers will be deployed to the Constitutional Court premises and specialized police units will also be on standby nearby, they noted, adding any protesters storming the court will be arrested on the spot.

The areas surrounding the court have been designated a no-fly zone since last Thursday but police will deploy anti-drone equipment there to prepare for the possibility of illegal drone flights.

Schools, one subway station, one gas station and four construction sites near the court will all cease operations on the sentencing day and access to the rooftop entrances of 22 adjacent buildings has also been restricted, the officials said.

In January, supporters of Yoon stormed the Seoul Western District Court in protest against the court's decision to formally arrest the suspended president.

Yonhap