Marching in the form of enclosing the presidential office in Yongsan… Yoon Seok-yeol calls for resignation of the government
Progressive group ‘Candlelight Victory Transformation Action’ held the 15th Candlelight March at 4:00 pm on the 19th at the Sungnyemun Ogei area in Jung-gu, Seoul, demanding the resignation of President Yoon Seok-yeol and the special prosecution of first lady Kim Kun-hee.
As participants filled in eight lanes from Sungnyemun Gate to City Hall Station, the lanes were completely controlled.
The number of participants was estimated by the organizers at 250,000 and the police at 25,000, a tenth of that number.
They shouted slogans condemning the government, holding signs such as “Is this the country where the people are dying?”
Six members of the Democratic Party, including Ahn Min-seok, Kang Min-jeong, Kim Yong-min, Yoo Jeong-ju, Yang Yi Won-young and Hwang Un-ha, and independent lawmaker Min Hyung-bae also participated in the rally.
It is the first time that a large number of Democratic Party lawmakers took to the podium at a candlelight march.
In a speech, Rep. Yoo Jeong-ju mentioned the all-round prosecution investigation once morest opposition figures and shouted, “The Yoon Seok-yeol government must stop ‘human hunting’. If you will not stop or reflect, come down from the spot. Resign.”
He said, “Now this is not a democratic Republic of Korea, but a kingdom of prosecutors.”
Rep. Min-seok Ahn pointed out the theory of government responsibility for the Itaewon disaster and demanded that “President Seok-yeol Yoon make a public apology to the public and immediately dismiss Prime Minister Deok-soo Han and Minister of Public Administration and Security Sang-min Lee.”
After the participants finished their free speech, they marched in the direction of Samgakji Station on Subway Line 6, which is close to the President’s Office, using three lanes from around 7:00 p.m.
There was some exchange of words between the two sides when they ran into members of the conservative group New Freedom Coalition during a rally in the triangular area, but there was no physical conflict.
Vehicles in Itaewon, right in front of the presidential office, were completely controlled.
Security has also been strengthened, with police riot squads deployed throughout the area.
The participants of the candlelight vigil continued their march in the form of enclosing the presidential office, splitting in the direction of Noksapyeong Station and Sinyongsan Station in the Samgak area.
Most of the participants disbanded following the march around 8:30 p.m.
/yunhap news
