On January 8th, as a warrant for the arrest of President Yoon Suk-yeol on charges of being the mastermind behind the December 3 martial law declaration was reissued, a dense barricade of vehicles was set up in front of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Despite a cold wave, supporters and opponents of President Yoon gathered around the vicinity. With the second execution of the arrest warrant imminent, it is expected that the demonstrations will continue for an extended period.
That morning, rallies by both supporters and opponents of President Yoon continued near his residence, as they had the previous day. In front of the International Lutheran Church in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, supporters gathered, led by Reverend Jeon Kwang-hoon from the National Movement to Correct the Republic of Korea, waving the South Korean and American flags while chanting slogans like “Protect the Republic of Korea” and “Oppose impeachment.”
These supporters, geared up with thick padded jackets, furry hats, and other winter items in the sub-zero temperature of minus 2 degrees Celsius, were unofficially estimated at 1,000 people by police as of 10 a.m. Meanwhile, those opposing President Yoon and calling for his impeachment and arrest were estimated at 100 people.
The rallies for and against continued into the afternoon. Starting from 2 p.m., the New Freedom Coalition planned a “Protect the President” rally on the sidewalk in front of the Lutheran Church and in two traffic lanes, with the organizers reporting an intended participation of 3,000 people.
The Candlelight Action group also planned a rally urging for President Yoon’s impeachment from 3 p.m., occupying the sidewalk and two traffic lanes in front of the Volvo Building, predicting a minimum of 6,000 participants. They intended to continue their rally on the sidewalk in front of Songhyeon Park, Jongno-gu, Seoul, from 7 p.m.
Meanwhile, on the afternoon of the 7th, the Seoul Western District Court reissued an arrest warrant for President Yoon, as requested again by the High-ranking Officials’ Crime Investigation Agency (CIO). When the first arrest warrant was issued, the CIO disclosed the validity period of the warrant (seven days), but the validity period for the reissued warrant was kept confidential. This was presumably to maintain security during the execution of the warrant and consider the potential intensification of protests in front of the residence.