1,500 Riot Police Deployed; Traffic Congestion Expected Due to Standoff
Pro- and Anti-Lee Jaemyung Supreme Court Remand Rallies Near the Court
On Saturday, May 10, the Jeon Bongjun Struggle Group of the Korean Peasants League (Jeonnong), which had announced a "tractor protest march to Seoul," began moving from Suwon, Gyeonggi Province toward Seoul.
According to Jeonnong, about 50 members of the Jeon Bongjun Struggle Group departed from near Suwon City Hall at around 7 a.m. with 32 tractors. They plan to pass through the area around Seoksu Station in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, and participate in the "National Rally for the Eradication of Treasonous Agricultural Policies and the Realization of Major Agricultural Reform," which will be held at Gwanghwamun at 3 p.m.
The Jeon Bongjun Struggle Group, which set out for Seoul on May 7 from Gwangju, South Jeolla, North Jeolla, and South Chungcheong, arrived in Suwon the previous day. The police have issued a "restriction notice" prohibiting the tractors from entering Seoul roads. As a result, there may be a standoff between the police and the tractors at the entry points to Seoul.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has deployed about 1,500 officers from 20 riot police units around Seoksu Station in preparation for any contingencies. The agency stated, "Traffic congestion is expected in the Geumcheon-gu Siheung-daero area due to the afternoon rallies," and added, "To facilitate vehicle flow, we will deploy about 74 traffic police officers at the Kia-daegyo 3 Intersection and the Parkmi 3 Intersection to guide detours and minimize inconvenience for citizens."
Meanwhile, large-scale rallies both supporting and opposing the Supreme Court's remand ruling concerning Lee Jaemyung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, are also scheduled for the afternoon. The Candlelight Action group will hold a rally at 4 p.m. near Exit 7 of Seocho Station, near the Supreme Court, calling for the punishment of the 10 Supreme Court justices who ruled for a guilty verdict. Conservative YouTubers such as Bellado, who have held rallies against impeachment, will hold a counter-rally at 3 p.m. in front of the west gate of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, about 300 meters away.
The Emergency Action for the Eradication of Treason and Major Social Reform, which led the movement for the resignation of former President Yoon Sukyeol, plans to hold a rally at 5 p.m. in front of Dongshipjagak at Gwanghwamun. Participants claim that the Supreme Court's remand ruling constitutes political interference, and will march through downtown Seoul after the rally.
The Korean Patriotic Restoration Headquarters (Daegukbon), led by Pastor Jun Kwanghoon, has reported that it will hold a rally at 1 p.m. in front of Donghwa Duty Free Shop at Gwanghwamun. Daegukbon, which has held rallies at the same location every Saturday, announced that this would be its last rally. It is not expected to hold any further rallies before the presidential election on June 3.
In addition, the Korean Government Employees' Union will hold a large-scale "May 10 Rally for the Basic Rights and Survival Rights of Public Servants" with about 20,000 participants in front of Yeouido Park at 2 p.m.
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