The National Farmers' Federation (Jeonnong) deployed a tractor on the morning of the 26th to stage a rally urging President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. The police blocked the movement, and as Jeonnong held the rally, traffic on Jahamun-ro to the left of Gyeongbokgung Palace was completely restricted, causing inconvenience for citizens on their way to work.
According to the police, the Jeonnong-affiliated Jeon Bong-jun Struggle Corps gathered 25 cargo trucks carrying 30 tractors the previous day in the Namtaeryeong Pass area of Seocho District, Seoul, and held a rally starting at 2 p.m. Earlier, the Seoul Administrative Court allowed only 20 one-ton trucks from Jeonnong to enter Seoul. When Jeonnong mobilized equipment beyond the permitted limits, the police erected a barricade at Namtaeryeong Pass to block them.
Subsequently, Jeonnong and the police continued to confront each other, and by the morning of that day, they were effectively disbanded. The police maintained a security posture in the Namtaeryeong area, believing that they could attempt to enter the city through detours.
The tractor mobilized for the Jeonnong rally approached the area where the 'Immediate resignation of Yoon Suk-yeol and emergency action for social reform' rally was being held at the western intersection of Gyeongbokgung Palace. It is presumed to have moved to downtown Seoul overnight via cargo trucks that bypassed Namtaeryeong Pass.
Around 4:15 a.m. that morning, the police discovered the tractor and dispatched riot police and a forklift to move it toward Jahamun-ro. Some protesters in favor of impeachment fiercely protested, blocking the road and leading to a standoff.
During this process, YouTubers opposing the impeachment joined in, resulting in physical clashes. The emergency action group claimed that at least one person was taken into custody by the police during this incident.
Due to the tractor protest that occurred in downtown Seoul, Jahamun-ro was completely blocked from around 6:44 a.m. starting from Gyeongbokgung Station on Line 3 of the Seoul Subway to Tongin Market. Vehicles entering downtown from the northwest of Seoul are making detours by turning left near the Cheongunhyoja-dong Resident Center to Hyoja-ro, which connects to Gyeongbokgung Palace.
Tractors and other agricultural machinery are classified as non-motor vehicles under the Road Traffic Act. They cannot operate on motor vehicle-only highways, but they are allowed on regular roads. However, their maximum speed is typically only about 50 km/h, which can cause severe traffic congestion during collective actions. The police stated that they can restrict the tractor protesters from entering Seoul based on Article 12 of the Assembly Law and Article 7 of the Road Traffic Act.