(CLO) Police will be deployed, subway stations and at least one school will be closed to ensure safety before the ruling of the Korean Constitutional Court on the impeachment or reinstatement of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Yoon Suk Yeol's political fate is in jeopardy after his brief martial law decree on December 3 led to his impeachment, along with separate criminal charges of rebellion.
The impeachment verdict, expected to be announced this week, has drawn both supporters and opponents of Mr. Yoon, with recent protests drawing tens of thousands of people.
"We are preparing for the worst-case scenario," Lee Ho-young, acting commissioner general of the National Police Agency, told reporters.
Mr Lee also stressed that police could use pepper spray or batons if violence broke out, similar to the riots by Mr Yoon's supporters at the court in January.
Police stand guard as supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol gather outside the Seoul Detention Center following the ruling to free him. (Photo: Kim Hong-ji)
On the day of the ruling, a subway station near the Constitutional Court will be closed, and trains may not stop at some other stations where large protests are expected, according to Seoul Metro.
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education sent a letter in late February advising six schools near the court to take safety measures, including closing on the day of the ruling. One school has decided to close for the day, according to Kim Eun-mi, an official at the office.
Since the beginning of the trial, police have deployed heavy forces, surrounding gatherings of thousands of Yoon's supporters.
"Security needs to be tighter than ever as the situation could become extremely volatile," a police official said. "We have to maintain the highest level of alert, similar to when the Constitutional Court ruled on President Park Geun-hye."
Ms. Park was impeached for corruption and removed from office in March 2017. At that time, at least three people were killed and dozens injured in protests.
On Sunday, a day after Mr. Yoon was released from detention and returned home, thousands of his supporters gathered around the palace to protest the impeachment, amid heightened security.
Over the weekend, police deployed buses along major roads and set up checkpoints around his residence to control the situation.
Ha Trang (according to Korea Times, Yonhap, Reuters)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/canh-sat-duoc-trien-khai-truoc-phan-quyet-ve-tong-thong-bi-luan-toi-han-quoc-post337892.html
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