South Korea is bracing for a potentially violent public reaction

4/4/2025 5:49

South Korea is bracing for a

potentially violent public reaction to a Constitutional Court

ruling on Friday on whether to remove impeached President Yoon

Suk Yeol from office or reinstate him amid the country's worst

political crisis in decades.



The following are some of the security measures being taken

in and around the Constitutional Court in central Seoul and

elsewhere in the capital.







THE COURT



A 150-metre (164-yard) stretch of a four-lane street in

front of the court will be closed to cars and pedestrians, with

several layers of police buses parked bumper to bumper along

both sides of the road and their wheels chained.



A 1.85 km (1.15 mile) radius around the court has been

declared a no-fly zone for Friday with equipment deployed to

disable drones.



The eight justices of the court already have security

protection and the acting president has directed the police to

step up protection for them.







POLICE



The police have warned of zero tolerance for any illegal

activities related to the court decision, following a mob

rampage at another court after it approved a warrant for Yoon's

detention on January 26.



Authorities were also caught off guard by the violent

protest following the ruling ousting former President Park

Geun-hye in 2017, when four Park supporters were killed and

scores injured, including police.



More than 14,000 police officers will be mobilised

throughout Seoul. They have been authorised to use pepper spray

and batons if needed. South Korean police have unofficially

stopped using tear gas and water cannon for crowd control after

deaths in past protests.







CLOSURES



The 11 schools and kindergartens within a 1 km radius of the

court will be closed all day on Friday.



National museums near the court and three royal palaces that

are popular tourist destinations including the Gyeongbokgung and

the UNESCO World Heritage Changdeokgung will be closed to the

public on Friday and possibly other days if needed.



The U.S. embassy in South Korea said routine consular

operations such as visa interviews would be cancelled on Friday

and advised Americans to exercise caution around crowds and

rallies.







TRAFFIC, CROWDS



In parts of Seoul and elsewhere in the country hundreds of

thousands of people are expected to turn out for opposing

rallies. Authorities say some of central Seoul's main

thoroughfares may be closed to traffic.



The Seoul subway's Anguk station, which is near the court,

will be closed all day and trains will not stop there.