Many restaurants and cafes near the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul, are expected to close on the 4th, the day of the ruling on President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment trial. The police announced they would create a so-called 'vacuum state' around the court, making it difficult for regular customers to access the area, and there is also a possibility that stores may be affected due to angry protesters following the ruling.
Several self-employed individuals met near the Constitutional Court on the 2nd and stated they would not be operating on the 4th. A(33), who has been running a cafe in an alley across from the court for eight years, said, "I heard rumors that if the results of the impeachment supporters and opponents' rallies do not meet their expectations, they would set fire to anything." They added, "I’m scared, so we decided to take a day off on the 4th." This cafe closed its doors two hours earlier than usual the previous day due to safety concerns.
B, who runs a soup house nearby, said, "Since yesterday (the 1st), all the dinner reservations have been canceled. Today is the same. There was a reservation for 20 group customers for lunch on the 4th, but that was also canceled." B noted that cancellations are also happening in the surrounding area and mentioned, "We can expect business won't be good on the 4th anyway, so we will close for safety reasons."
Baek (50), who has been running a sashimi restaurant in Anguk-dong for over 15 years, said, "On the day of the ruling for former President Park Geun-hye's impeachment trial eight years ago, only one customer came." Baek continued, "So this time, we will not operate on the day of the ruling. After all, the reservations for that day have also been canceled."
The Starbucks Anguk branch is located right next to the Constitutional Court, separated only by a narrow alley. A representative from Starbucks said, "Although it's not confirmed yet, we are considering closing the Anguk branch on the day of the ruling."
The Constitutional Court is located in Bukchon, which has a hanok village, resulting in many foreign tourists frequently visiting the area. Famous cafes, including London Bagel Museum and Onion Anguk, are scheduled to operate as usual on the 4th. However, they might close depending on the situation that day. These two places are located more than 150 meters away from the Constitutional Court, placing them outside the 'vacuum state zone' established by the police to block access to protesters.
Branches of banks around Anguk Station have also decided or are reviewing whether to close. A representative from Shinhan Bank announced plans to close the Hyundai Gyedong branch and Hyundai Gyedong Corporate Finance Center on the 4th, transferring business to nearby branches. A representative from Hana Bank noted that they plan to close both the Anguk branch and the Gyedong branch, designating the 19th floor of the Euljiro headquarters and the Jongno Financial Center as alternative branches. Woori Bank is also reviewing the closure of the Anguk Station branch.
Corporations based near the Constitutional Court have instructed employees to work from home. Hyundai E&C and Hyundai Engineering announced on the 2nd that all employees would be guided to work from home on the day of the ruling.