On the afternoon of the 11th, around 12 p.m., members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions were walking right in front of the southern wall of Gyeongbokgung Palace, the foremost royal palace of the Joseon dynasty, to participate in a rally calling for President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment. A flag held by one participant seemed to touch the tiles atop the wall. A man even kicked the wall.
Nearby, the leadership of the 'immediate resignation of Yoon Suk-yeol and emergency action for social reform' was setting up a tent and staging a hunger strike. The hunger strike site is located about 5 meters from where the 'graffiti terror' incident occurred in December 2023. Foreign tourists dressed in hanbok passed by the area with puzzled expressions due to the narrow sidewalk caused by the protest tent.
◇Tent set up for the rally along the Gyeongbokgung Palace wall for 180 meters… the wall has previously been damaged due to protests
The location of the rally calling for impeachment was moved to in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace from Yeouido after the impeachment motion was passed at the National Assembly in December of last year. Since then, the rally has been held daily, raising concerns from the Korea Heritage Service that Gyeongbokgung could be damaged due to the protests. In fact, the palace has been damaged in the past due to protests. In June 2008, during a candlelight vigil against U.S. beef imports, parts of the western wall and tiles of Gyeongbokgung were damaged, requiring urgent repairs. In 2013, a fire at the Ssangyong Motor Corporation workers' tent protest in front of the Daehanmun Gate of Deoksugung Palace resulted in the wall being scorched.
The scale of the rally in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace has recently increased. According to the police on the 14th, lawmakers from the Democratic Party of Korea departed from the National Assembly at 4 p.m. the previous day and marched 8.7 kilometers before gathering outside the southern wall of Gyeongbokgung Palace. The number of people reported by the police for the rally is 500. However, even after the rally ends, the site remains uncleaned. The emergency action leadership began a hunger strike on the 8th, calling for the impeachment ruling against President Yoon, leading to the installation of a tent that is maintained 24 hours a day. Former Gyeongnam Governor Kim Kyung-soo also started a hunger strike a day later, setting up a tent.
Initially, there were about five tents set up here, but as the Democratic Party held rallies in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace, the number increased significantly. By around 12 p.m. the previous day, 34 tents from various organizations, including the Justice Innovation Party, Seoul's Voice, and Hyangrin Church, had been set up along about 180 meters from the western intersection of Gyeongbokgung Palace to the front of Gwanghwamun.
On the afternoon of the 11th, when the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held the rally, some protesters were seen sitting against the Gyeongbokgung wall. The measures that the Korea Heritage Service proposed include placing barricades or belt blockades to guide people to line up in front of the wall and the elevated area. Participants in the impeachment rally held on the evening of the 12th did not enter the controlled area, but they still leaned against the wall in the uncontrolled areas on the left and right of Gyeongbokgung. A Korea Heritage Service official said, 'The risk of wall damage increases when many people gather,' and warned that 'even stepping just one step inside beyond the barricades or belt blockades poses a risk of damage.'
Due to the barricades set up for the rally, foreign tourists are experiencing inconveniences while attempting to take 'certification shots.' Around 12 p.m. on the 11th, a foreign man took a commemorative photo with Gwanghwamun in the background in front of the barricades set up outside the elevated area. Tourist Annika Ponderio, 23, said, 'In the Netherlands, police are deployed only during major incidents, but there were dozens of police around Gyeongbokgung. I thought, 'Is this a place we're not supposed to be?''
Not only Gyeongbokgung but also nearby Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung near the Constitutional Court, as well as Deoksugung near the Seoul City Hall, seem to have suffered damage due to the daily protests since the martial law situation of December 12th and 3rd. According to the Korea Heritage Service, the number of visitors to the four palaces in December of last year decreased by 53% compared to the previous month. Compared to the previous month, the number of visitors in December 2023 decreased by 40%, suggesting that the protests have had an impact, even considering the winter season. Since December of last year, rallies for and against President Yoon's impeachment have been held in front of the Constitutional Court, which is located about 500 meters from Changdeokgung.
◇As protests resumed in front of the official residence in Hannam-dong, parents of Hannam Elementary School express concerns… 'There are curse words as children pass by with loudspeakers'
Protests against the impeachment of President Yoon resumed in front of the official residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, after the president was released and returned to the residence. Consequently, a rally was held on Hannam Road, right next to the residence, causing parents to worry about the safety of their children's commutes.
The anti-impeachment protests in Hannam-dong resumed on the 7th when the court overturned the decision to detain President Yoon. On the 11th, the Liberty Unification Party held a weekday rally for the first time after the president's arrest, which had lasted for 56 days.
Concerned about their children's safety, parents are asking for understanding from their workplaces and accompanying their children on their way to and from school. Resident Heo Joon-hee, 38, who met on the morning of the 11th in front of Hannam Elementary School, said, 'Both my husband and I work, but we've decided to somehow take time to take care of our second grader.' She added, 'My child came back from playing outside during winter break with a banner from the impeachment rally in hand. I was so angry and scared.' Lee Kwang-kyu, 40, who picked up his third-grade son, said, 'I saw the rally participants playing loud music and cursing through speakers as my child passed by. I plan to make an effort to accompany him daily until the end of the rally.'
An official from the Yongsan District Office said, 'For the time being, adult volunteers will accompany students passing through dangerous areas such as Volvo Building alone after school,' adding, 'We are not yet planning shortened classes, but we are monitoring the situation closely.'