"Hope This Situation Ends Soon"... Commercial Area in Front of the Constitutional Court Struggling Amid Consecutive Rallies

Successive Protests Take a Toll on Businesses Near the Constitutional Court
Stagnant Sales and Noise Cause Stress
Tourists Also Complain of Discomfort

"There’s hardly any sales. They’ve dropped to about a third, and even maintaining that is impossible."

Ji Seoyoon (57), who runs a Korean restaurant on Bukchon-ro in Jongno-gu, Seoul, sighed that sales have hardly improved since December. Ji said, "I have a feeling there will be some unrest on the day of the impeachment ruling. We won’t be able to do business that day. I just feel anxious and am waiting for the ruling to come out quickly." As the day of the Constitutional Court’s ruling on President Yoon Seok-yeol’s impeachment draws near, loud voices continued in front of the Constitutional Court from 10 a.m. that day. Protesters holding loudspeakers shouted slogans like "Constitutional Court, repent," while blowing vuvuzelas and whistles.

A pedestrian street lined with commercial establishments across from the Constitutional Court. Citizens walking between participants of a rally lined up on both sides. Photo by Lee Eun-seo

Concerns are growing over the commercial district near the Constitutional Court, which is suffering due to the intense pro- and anti-impeachment rallies ahead of President Yoon’s impeachment ruling.

According to the police, rallies and sit-ins continued on the 11th around the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu and the Gwanghwamun area. The "Presidential National Defense Lawyers," supporters of President Yoon, held a filibuster-style press conference in front of the Constitutional Court. Speakers holding microphones claimed threats from China, North Korea, and spies, opposing President Yoon’s impeachment. The Korea Movement to Set the Republic Straight (Daegukbon) held an invalidation rally near Exit 5 of Anguk Station, and at 1 p.m. that day, the Freedom Unification Party and the Moms’ Group held anti-impeachment rallies at the same location, which are held daily.

Due to the successive rallies, sales during the peak season have not risen as expected, increasing merchants’ worries. Kim (42), owner of a souvenir shop, said, "March is usually a good month for business, but not this year. We basically live off what we earn in March and April," adding, "Sales dropped sharply right after the martial law, and even now during the peak season, they haven’t risen as much as expected."

Merchants’ fatigue is also increasing due to the continuous noise and insults at the rallies. Kim said, "Hearing the same sounds repeated all day makes me feel sick. Imagine being here. It’s tough for everyone." Jeong, a woman in her 20s who runs a dessert shop, also said, "I started business after the martial law, but the noise never stops, even on weekends."

Citizens passing through a narrow street. Police riot control buses are lined up, blocking the view of the shops. Red bands with the inscriptions 'Minjudang Toechul' and 'Impeachment Invalid' are tied to the street trees. Photo by Lee Eun-seo

Another problem is that rally participants line up on both sides of the narrow sidewalks, blocking pedestrian paths. Flags waved by participants on both sides sometimes get caught on power lines. Because of this, tourists have to walk in a single file between the rally participants. Stores on the narrow straight sidewalks are also obscured by police bus lines. Shin Jeomrye (60), an employee at a Korean restaurant, said, "Who would come into the store when the road is blocked? There are no lines like before, and tables are mostly empty during lunch. We can’t close the store, but sales are at rock bottom, so the damage is severe."

Merchants also worry that the loud shouts directed at foreigners during the rallies might deter foreign customers. Shin said, "When foreigners pass by the rally, they shout 'NO CHINA.' Our stores cater to foreigners, so who would come?" On the pavement that day, stickers with phrases like 'NO CHINA,' 'Red Commies OUT,' and 'STOP THE STEAL' were plastered densely. It was also seen that rally participants handed out flyers saying 'Impeachment Invalid' to foreign tourists passing by, following them closely.

The area near Anguk Station where barricades have been installed and police buses are lined up. Photo by Eunseo Lee

Domestic and foreign tourists visiting Anguk Station and Bukchon also feel uncomfortable. Foreign tourists visiting here are often surprised by the rally scene without understanding the reason. Some foreign tourists stopped at the rally site to look at flyers held by participants or filmed the scene with their phones.

Chen Chuantang (26) from Taiwan said, "The noise is tremendous. I don’t know what the protest is about, but I don’t like the noisy and chaotic atmosphere." Sebastian (49) from Germany said, "I came for a walk looking for a burger place in Bukchon, but I didn’t know there was a protest here," adding, "The wreaths in front of the court were toppled, and I was surprised by the many police officers." Heo Seonwoo (26), a Korean visiting Bukchon, shook his head, saying, "The streets are already narrow, so it’s inconvenient to pass through, and it’s embarrassing in front of foreign tourists."