The heart of Seoul was split in two on Mar. 1 as protesters rallied for and against the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol.
The spirit of national unity that once defined the March 1 Movement, Korea’s historic independence movement, was nowhere to be seen, replaced instead by extreme rhetoric, insults, and political incitement. Rather than leading efforts to unify the country, politicians on both sides fueled further division and chaos.
At rallies in Gwanghwamun and Yeouido, opponents of Yoon’s impeachment warned that if the Constitutional Court approves the motion, it could trigger massive public resistance and chaos. Protesters also used inflammatory language, referring to their opponents as “mindless leftists, like zombies”, and a “swarm of worms”.
President Yoon, in a message from prison, told his supporters that they must fight to the end with a strong sense of responsibility and commitment to defending freedom. Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who is also in prison, wrote in a letter that Constitutional Court Justices Moon Hyung-bae, Lee Mi-son, and Chung Kye-seon should be punished immediately.
Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung took the stage and denounced the People Power Party, saying it wasn’t even conservative, nor was it merely reactionary, but something worse—an outright regressive force. He added, “Had the night of rebellion continued, we would have ended up as crab bait in the waters off Yeonpyeong Island.”
Hwang Un-ha, floor leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, lashed out at President Yoon, calling him a “delusional monster throwing a crazed tantrum.” The Democratic Party also attacked Acting President Choi Sang-mok, who had urged national unity, accusing him of being “no different from a coup leader” and telling him not to “preach about unity while pledging loyalty to Yoon.” Instead of calming the political turmoil, both sides escalated tensions.
Similarly, two weeks earlier in Gwangju, conservative and opposition-leaning groups staged massive rallies for and against impeachment, facing off across police barricades.
In January, protesters stormed the Seoul Western District Court after a judge issued an arrest warrant for President Yoon. The divisions running through S. Korean society have become severe. Yet, it is worth asking whether the nation should be engaged in such a bitter battle on March 1, a day meant to commemorate unity in the fight for independence.
Meanwhile, S. Korea faces mounting challenges, from Washington’s increasingly unilateral approach to economic and foreign policy to shifting security dynamics and weakening industrial competitiveness.
If S. Korean politicians keep fanning the flames of division, the country will struggle to navigate these crises. Neither side should seek electoral gains by deepening political fractures. If this extreme polarization continues, the country could reach a point where no one accepts the Constitutional Court’s decision—no matter what it rules.
