Activists and bystanders gather around a gate leading to the National Assembly building in Seoul, South Korea, Dec. 4, 2024. (David Choi/Stars and Stripes)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — The U.S. Embassy in Seoul warned American citizens to expect “large-scale demonstrations and protests” following South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment ruling expected Friday from one of the country’s highest courts.
The notice on the embassy website Tuesday advised Americans to avoid demonstrations and to use caution in crowded areas ahead of the Constitutional Court’s verdict.
The embassy will be closed Friday to interviews for passports and visas, notarial services and birth certificate applications and will resume those services Monday, according to the notice.
Although most demonstrations in South Korea are peaceful, rallies “intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence,” the notice said.
During a protest Jan. 19, Yoon’s supporters stormed the Seoul Western District Court, damaged gates, smashed windows and vandalized furniture. Roughly 60 people were arrested in the incident.
U.S. Forces Korea, the military command overseeing 28,500 American troops in South Korea, “aligns with the U.S. Embassy’s guidance,” Army Col. Ryan Donald, a spokesman for the command, said by email Thursday.
“We advise avoiding protest areas, staying alert, and following local authorities’ guidance,” he added.
Tens of thousands gathered in front of the National Assembly building, presidential residence and Constitutional Court in Seoul for political demonstrations in the weeks following Yoon’s short-lived martial law declaration Dec. 3.
Yoon defended the decree by claiming his Democratic Party political opponents were stonewalling legislation and impeaching senior government officials without justification.
National Assembly lawmakers voted to impeach Yoon 11 days later, which prompted the Constitutional Court to review his case starting Dec. 27.
If the court upholds Yoon’s impeachment, South Korea is required to hold a presidential election within 60 days. If his impeachment is struck down, Yoon will be reinstated and serve the remainder of his five-year term until May 2027.
