South Koreans gathered in huge numbers in the capital Seoul on Saturday to support or oppose impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol before a court decides whether his short-lived declaration of martial law disqualifies him from office.

Thousands of South Koreans have filled the streets of downtown Seoul in massive rival rallies for and against impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who lawmakers voted to impeach, was released from detention Saturday after spending nearly two months in custody under a criminal probe for his martial law declaration.

South Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok called on Friday for the nation to respect and accept any decision, ahead of a Constitutional Court's ruling on the impeachment of leader Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived martial law order.

South Korea's air traffic authorities will ban drones from flying around the Constitutional Court in Seoul from Thursday ahead of the ruling on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. The measure will take effect from Thursday to Wednesday next week,

Yoon is South Korea’s first president who has been arrested while in office, and there are no clear laws or past rulings that could guarantee his immediate return to office, analysts say. But he was eventually released from prison, after a Seoul court canceled his arrest and allowed him to stand his criminal trial without being detained.

Authorities are introducing strict security measures in central Seoul, including a no-fly zone, school closures and increased law enforcement presence around the Constitutional Court for the impending ruling on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment.

Court to rule on state auditor's impeachment Moon Hyung-bae, acting chief justice of the Constitutional Court, is seated at the court in Seoul on March 13, 2025, to deliver the court's impeachment ruling for chief state auditor Choe Jae-hae and three prosecutors.