Tense morning scenes, as S. Korea awaits Yoon's impeachment verdict

Seoul's usually-busy morning scenes in central areas were replaced by a heightened police presence Friday morning, as South Korea awaits the Constitutional Court's 11 a.m. ruling on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment.

Anguk Station of Seoul Subway Line No. 3 is a stone's throw away from the Constitutional Court where the historic ruling will be announced. As of 4 p.m. Thursday, it has been mostly empty except for a few protestors who held all-night demonstrations and a large group of police and rescue authorities deployed to prevent potential violence. The station has been closed due to security reasons, and roads leading to and from the station are also under police control.

At around 8 a.m. on Friday, however, people suspected to be Yoon supporters started gathering around the southern and eastern end of the Anguk Station. Several YouTubers were seen around the spot, conducting live broadcasts at around 9 a.m. in anticipation of the upcoming verdict.

Within 150 meters of the Constitutional Court in Jongno, Seoul, authorities have set up a parameter comprising thousands of police officers controlling pedestrians and checking for armed individuals. Some of the protestors were seen complaining over the police barricade, although no physical altercation had occurred as of 9 a.m.

Seoul Metro, the main operator of Seoul's subway systems, closed public access to Hanganjin Station of Line No. 6 at 9 a.m. to prevent crowds gathering. The station is close to the official residence of Yoon, and is one of 14 stations in Seoul whose access could be controlled in case of security concerns on Friday.

The No. 4 and No. 5 exits of Jongno-3-ga Station, which neighbors Anguk Station, had been shut down, sparking complaints from citizens and protestors who were not aware of this fact.

Gwanghwamun Square, a little over a kilometer away from the Constitutional Court and a hotspot for protests, started filling up with protestors mostly in support of Yoon's ouster. At around 8 a.m., they began shouting slogans such as "Remove Yoon, Yoon Cabinet should resign," and "8-0 expulsion," referring to their hopes that the eight sitting judges of the court would vote unanimously to remove Yoon from office.

At the intersection near Gwanghwamun Square, officials of opposition parties have been greeting pedestrians and passing cars with slogans urging for Yoon's impeachment.