Seoul: Civic groups across South Korea intensified their call for President Yoon Suk Yeol to resign, marking the second consecutive day of protests against his attempt to impose martial law. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and numerous other civic organizations initiated demonstrations in Gyeryong and other locales in South Chungcheong Province beginning at 7:40 a.m., urging Yoon’s immediate resignation.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the demonstrators brandished banners with slogans such as “Nullification of illegal emergency martial law is victory for democracy” and “Immediately arrest treasonous criminal Yoon Suk Yeol and his accomplices,” encouraging citizens to join the protest movement. The protests are a response to what they describe as an attempt by Yoon to reverse decades of democratic progress, citing the 155 minutes when martial law was in effect before being overturned by the National Assembly.
Resolution meetings commenced at 5 p.m. in central cities like Cheonan and Daejeon,
as well as in front of Seosan City Hall. In Chungju, eight council members from the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) held a press conference, urging Yoon to vacate his office. They criticized the martial law declaration as a direct affront to the Constitution and a destabilization of democratic principles.
In Daejeon, citizens and civic groups gathered at 7 p.m., chanting for Yoon’s impeachment. Concurrently, a coalition of 86 civic organizations convened a rally in Gwangju’s May 18 Democracy Square, attracting over 800 participants who demanded Yoon’s arrest. The rally held particular significance as it took place in a location honoring the 1980 pro-democracy movement, with attendees, including families affected by past martial law violence, sharing their stories and providing food to rally-goers.
On Jeju Island, youth groups and students held a press conference outside city hall, declaring their commitment to safeguarding democracy. Additional rallies occurred outside provincial offices of the ruling
People Power Party, where demonstrators criticized the party’s stance against the impeachment motion targeting Yoon.