Tears of joy, cries of anger: Protests erupt in Seoul as Constitutional Court strips Yoon of presidency

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Tears of joy, cries of anger: Protests erupt in Seoul as Constitutional Court strips Yoon of presidency

Published: 04 Apr. 2025, 16:58 Updated: 04 Apr. 2025, 21:24

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Ralliers cheer upon hearing the Constitutional Court's ruling that upheld the impeachment of now-former President Yoon Suk Yeol near Anguk Station in central Seoul, on Apr. 4. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Cheers and tears of joy burst forth among the protesters rooting for the impeachment of now-former President Yoon Suk Yeol in central Seoul after the Constitutional Court ruled on Friday that Yoon was to be impeached.

However, disbelief and anguish spilled out among the protesters that wanted Yoon reinstated, who proceeded to air their grievances with limited violence and destruction.

The morning of Yoon’s impeachment ruling was brisk at 7 degrees Celsius (44.6 degrees Fahrenheit), as if the weather was betraying the mood of chilling fear and anticipation across the nation.

By 8:55 a.m., the uncharacteristically cold morning commute was nearly at an end, and the streets near Jongno 3-ga Station in central Seoul seemed quiet.

However, progressing deeper into the nearby dusty remnants of the once-bustling Nakwon Musical Instruments Arcade, a steady stream of elderly people emerged, holding Korean and American national flags while walking toward the Constitutional Court in central Seoul.

Suddenly, the military anthem “The Torch for Eradication of Communism” cut through the air as a protester turned on the megaphone on board a truck that said “down with Lee Jae-myung,” condemning the liberal Democratic Party (DP) leader.

The protesters angry over Yoon’s impeachment were just gearing up.

A banner hangs across a bus that calls for the introduction of AI judges in central Seoul on Apr. 4 [KIM MIN-YOUNG]

The vocal protester on the truck proceeded to use a megaphone screaming for the “protection of the free market for the ordinary folks of this great nation.” His speech was met with shouts to “lock up Lee Jae-myung” from passing protesters wearing red bandannas emblazoned with the exact same phrase in white.

The fevered look in their eyes as they chanted various slogans slandering liberals bled over into their attitudes towards the press. Many of them outright rejected interviews, calling the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of Korea JoongAng Daily, “Chinese money-taking legacy media.”

However, not all were hostile.

“I bought this one quite a few years back,” said Jung, a 65-year-old from Daegu, pointing to the red MAGA hat on his head. “Came up all the way here by myself. My family was concerned, but there can be no greater sacrifice than fighting for my country, can there?

“President Yoon will save us from the Chinese takeover, I am sure of it,” he continued. “These liberals, they stole the election with their help you know? I can't just look the other away.”

Pro-Yoon Suk Yeol protesters rally near Anguk Station in central Seoul on Apr. 4. [KIM MIN-YOUNG]

Anti-Yoon Suk Yeol protesters rally in central Seoul near Anguk Station on Apr. 4, demanding the Constitutional Court rule for the impeachment of former President Yoon. [YOON SEUNG-JIN]

But as the pro-Yoon faction was slowing gaining momentum to amass crowds on Friday morning, the anti-Yoon faction protesters were already brimming with angst, having already gathered in mass numbers. Police said that 100,000 people were reported yesterday to have amassed pre-rally.

A middle-aged woman, standing on a truck with a microphone, shouted, “Impeach Yoon Suk Yeol immediately!” The surrounding crowd responded in agreement as they were waiting for the Constitutional Court’s decision.

Seo Hee-jin, 21, sporting a jacket with “Seoul Women’s University” on it, said, “What resonated with me the most was the tuition increase.”

When asked how she felt about being at the protest, she replied, “I’m both excited and nervous. If the impeachment doesn’t happen, I’m ready to rise up with the citizens here.”

Anti-Yoon Suk Yeol protesters rally in central Seoul near Anguk Station on Apr. 4, demanding the Constitutional Court rule for the impeachment of former President Yoon. [YOON SEUNG-JIN]

Another protester was focused on economic issues.

“The biggest struggle for young people right now is the economic crisis,” said a protester surnamed Lee, who declined to reveal her full name as she attended the protest without “getting her parents’ permission.”

“Many of my friends are looking for jobs, and they’re having a really hard time finding employment. Young people are the most vulnerable to rising prices. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to survive, both financially and physically.”

An anti-Yoon Suk Yeol protesters dressed up as Donald Trump and an alien walks through the crowd in central Seoul near Anguk Station on Apr. 4. [YOON SEUNG-JIN]

The streets of central Seoul were divided Friday morning with pro- and anti-impeachment rallies already set up in the areas set up near the Constitutional Court, with Anguk Station sitting between the two factions.

Police created a restricted area around the court itself and subway trains have been skipping Anguk Station since yesterday. The police cars were horizontally positioned across the street, forming a makeshift maze for easier crowd control, with towering walls and fences shaped like castle parapets erected along the roads.

Police were authorized to use “100 percent mobilization” on Friday, but this didn’t stop pro-Yoon protesters from challenging law enforcement, with certain protesters trying to breach restricted zones and getting into shouting matches with the police.

Marine Corp veterans against the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol rally in an organized rank-and-file near Anguk Station in Central Seoul, on Apr. 4. [KIM MIN-YOUNG]

As tensions mounted, more organized rank-and-file protests began emerging on both sides, with tougher and edgier rhetoric.

At the front of the pro-Yoon crowd Marine Corps veterans organized themselves in a parade-style rank-and-file, with several holding up red light sticks, referred to as “commie destroyers” among pro-Yoon protesters. The protester leading the chant with a megaphone complimented the veterans for “continuing their duties for the sons and daughters of the Republic of Korea,” referring to South Korea by its official name.

Another feature of Korean protests in recent days is the pervasive presence of YouTubers. Tripods and cameras of all shapes and sizes bob above the heads of people as they walk along the street.

As a Korea JoongAng Daily reporter sat on the curb in a nearly deserted alleyway for a short break, he ended up sharing a corner with a man seemingly in his late 30s talking into a camera on a tripod.

“We all know there is a leftist plot to overthrow the country,” the YouTuber said into the camera. “The whole world is waking up, and we are the vanguard. We are going to avenge all our great-grandparents who died fighting the North Koreans and Chinese.”

Anti-Yoon Suk Yeol protesters and members of the Koreann Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) march, demanding the resignation of Yoon in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, on Apr. 4. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Anti-Yoon Suk Yeol protesters rally in central Seoul near Anguk Station on Apr. 4, demanding the Constitutional Court rule for the impeachment of former President Yoon. [YOON SEUNG-JIN]

As the protest intensified, many of the anti-Yoon demonstrators moved from Gyeongbok Palace to Yeollin Songhyeon Square, waving flags bearing slogans like “We never die” and “A world without Yoon Suk Yeol.” Numerous protesters laid mats on the blocked main road, preparing for what promised to be a full-scale rally.

The pro-impeachment crowd continued to swell, packing the sidewalks and filling the nearby steps. In front of the giant screen, the crowd started singing songs while event organizers worked to ensure safety and maintain order.

At around 10 a.m., the pro-impeachment rally officially began. The host, standing at the forefront, shouted, “Unanimous removal!” The protesters responded in unison, chanting “Removal! Removal! Removal!” their voices echoing through the streets.

Anti-Yoon Suk Yeol protesters march, demanding the resignation of Yoon in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, on Apr. 4. [PARK SANG-MOON]

An anti-Yoon Suk Yeol protester dressed up as a blue bear walks through the crowd in central Seoul near Anguk Station on Apr. 4. [YOON SEUNG-JIN]

Approximately 15 minutes ahead of the impeachment trial, a protester with a megaphone fired off rallying cries: “Let’s end the plight of young people barely scraping by on part-time jobs” and “Yoon Suk Yeol, who has fed off the struggles of the youth, will be impeached today!”

The anti-Yoon crowd consisted of people off various age groups, with not only elderly individuals but also many young students, especially women. Among them were people in their early to mid-20s, wearing university-branded baseball jackets and enthusiastically responding to the host’s words.

A pro-impeachment protester was walking around in a blue bear costume waving at fellow protesters. The protesters cheered, shaking hands and sticking pro-impeachment stickers on the furry Democratic mascot.

Pro-Yoon Suk Yeol protesters gather around to listen to a livestream of the Constitutional Court's ruling on Yoon's impeachment near Anguk Station in central Seoul on Apr. 4. [KIM MIN-YOUNG]

As the sun neared high noon on Friday, the protesters collectively began to quiet down to tune in, as the verdict on Yoon’s impeachment ruling was read by Constitutional Court justice Moon Hyeong-bae.

The people at the pro-Yoon demonstration scene began to huddled in, and for the first time probably ever in a protest, participants told each other to quiet down. A man in army fatigues and sunglasses picked up a megaphone as he repeated the ruling he was getting fed through an earphone connected to a phone livestreaming the ruling by justice Moon.

Pandemonium struck on 11:22 a.m. when Yoon was impeached by the court.

Cries of "[Expletive] communists!” erupted all over the crowd in central Seoul as the court gave its ruling. Shrill cries calling for vengeance were heard everywhere. A woman charged a police officer, and another rolled on the ground in tears, stuttering about the impending doom of a Chinese invasion.

The protests began waving their flags ever harder and tried to rush the fences. Men kicked objects out of the way and raised their fists, with the whole crowd beginning to show signs of growing violent. One protester proceeded to smash the windows of a police bus that was being used as a barricade.

“We will kill Lee Jae-myung,” shouted a gravelly voice in the back of the crowd. “Rise up, we have to protect our president!”

A glass window on a police bus lies shattered near Anguk Station in central Seoul after a pro-Yoon Suk Yeol protesters smashed it after hearing the Constitutional Court's ruling on Apr. 4.

Many of Yoon's supporters have been radicalized by far right YouTubers pedaling conspiracy theories about communists influencing Korean politics and the court. The outburst after the ruling appeared to have confirmed the concerns in recent days that in the event that Yoon is impeached, those pro-Yoon rallies could quickly turn into riots.

However, by this time, the turnout on the pro-Yoon side was significantly lower than expected, amounting to around 2,000 with organizers saying there would be over 25,000 protesters. This led the near-riot to be somewhat contained when demonstrators began to disperse to other protest sites like the presidential residence in Yongsan or Gwanghwamun after calling each other either “too soft” or “too hotheaded.”

The protesters eventually dissipated, nearly all of them chanting “death to Lee Jae-myung.”

Anti-Yoon Suk Yeol protesters pose for a picture in central Seoul near Anguk Station on Apr. 4, after the Constitutional Court rules in favor of former President Yoon's impeachment. [YOON SEUNG-JIN]

A man wearing traditional Korean clothing waves a flag in the middle of a anti-Yoon Suk Yeol protest near Anguk Station in central Seoul, on Apr. 4. [PARK SANG-MOON]

It was a completely different scene unfolded on the other side of the police blockade.

The pro-impeachment protesters erupted into chants, with some bursting into tears of joy and others unfurling the Taegeukgi, Korea’s national flag, unable to contain their excitement.

As of noon, the official protest ended, and the anti-Yoon protesters began chanting in celebration, marching together from the Seoul Museum of Craft Art bus stop toward Gyeongbok Palace, shouting slogans like “He’s been removed!” and “We won!” with growing enthusiasm.

Many protesters remained to continue their celebrations. They sang, danced, and chanted K-pop songs like aespa’s “Whiplash,” reveling in their victory.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG, YOON SEUNG-JIN [[email protected]]

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Tears of joy, cries of anger: Protests erupt in Seoul as Constitutional Court strips Yoon of presidency

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