On the 4th, the day of the impeachment ruling against President Yoon Suk-yeol, around 3,000 people held an overnight sit-in protest in front of the Constitutional Court and on the roads and sidewalks in front of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, greeting the morning. With messy faces, they were chatting with neighbors and organizing their mats and plastic sheets, convinced that President Yoon would either return to duty or be removed on that day.
According to the police, around 7 a.m. on the 4th, approximately 3,000 participants of the overnight assembly called "Immediate resignation of Yoon Suk-yeol and social reform emergency action" gathered near exit 6 of Anguk Station on Seoul Subway Line 3, having started their sit-in the night before.
The morning low temperature in Seoul on this day was 6 degrees Celsius. The protesters sat on the road on Styrofoam mats, covered with thermal blankets. Some were sitting with their padded jacket zippers pulled up to their heads, while others were seen wearing woolen hats. On one side of the road, chalk writings such as "Judicial reform" and "Removal of Yoon Suk-yeol" were visible in red, yellow, and blue.
In a tranquil atmosphere, participants in the assembly exchanged words with each other, saying, "Today is the end," "Let's finish and go home," and "We will win today." Supporters of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, shouted while serving cream soup in paper cups, saying, "Enjoy your removal soup as you go."
Opponents of President Yoon's impeachment spent the night near exit 5 of Anguk Station. Around 7 a.m. that day, 19 people spread their mats to hold an overnight assembly. They laid mats on the sidewalk and covered themselves with long plastic sheets to endure the cold. They raised the plastic as they organized their sleeping area, conversing while wrapped in thermal blankets, saying, "Today, the impeachment will be dismissed?" and "Of course."
A university student, Yoo Mo (20), said, "I stayed up all night after finishing classes yesterday," adding, "I feel sorry for the elderly who have protected South Korea and sorry for the new generation that will be born, so I participated in the overnight assembly."
The 'Korea Righting Movement Headquarters,' led by Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon from Sarang First Church, moved its gathering from near exit 5 of Anguk Station to Hannam-dong, where the presidential residence is located, after holding a rally. The 10 participants of the overnight protest began shouting for "Lee Jae-myung's arrest" while wrapping themselves in thermal blankets from 7 a.m. They also held signs reading "CHINA OUT."
Choi Mo (75), who participated in the overnight protest here, said, "We must protect the president. It would convey a heartfelt message being so close to the president," adding, "(The Constitutional Court) will dismiss it anyway."
As day broke, the protesters gathered in Hannam-dong. Around 7:40 a.m. that day, a stage and speakers were being set up, with about 500 people gathering holding Korean and U.S. flags. They beat drums and gongs towards vehicles entering the city center, shouting, "Impeachment invalid" and "Impeachment dismissed." They occupied four lanes on the right side of Hannam-daero.
About 100 participants of the 'Candlelight Action' rally calling for President Yoon's impeachment occupied one lane of Hannam-daero for about 100 meters from 7 a.m., shouting for "Yoon Suk-yeol to be removed." Half of them are said to have participated in the overnight sit-in.
As the protesters gathered in Hannam-dong, the Seoul Transportation Corporation closed Hangangjin Station on Subway Line 6 and allowed trains to pass without stopping from 9 a.m. This was done to prevent a large crowd from gathering at once and to manage safety by encouraging passengers to disembark at other nearby stations. Anguk Station, near the Constitutional Court, has been passing without stopping since 4 p.m. the day before.
On this day, the police issued a 'grade A emergency' declaration, enabling them to fully mobilize police forces nationwide from midnight. Approximately 20,000 members from 338 rapid response units were mobilized, with 14,000 from 210 units concentrated in Seoul.