A far-right activist and pastor, the Rev. Jeon Kwang-hoon on Friday voiced his rejection of the Constitutional Court's decision to remove President Yoon Suk Yeol from office, urging sympathizers to "gather 30 million at Gwanghwamun Square" on Saturday.
The controversial pastor made the comments at a demonstration in front of the official presidential office and residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul.
Jeon claimed that the people's right to resist supersedes the court's verdict, accusing the justices of "committing a crime" against Yoon, who he says has over 50 percent approval from the public.
It is unclear where Jeon obtained the numbers of 50 percent approval or 30 million supporters for Yoon. A National Barometer Survey jointly conducted by four pollsters from March 31 to April 2 showed that 57 percent of respondents thought Yoon should be removed from office, while 35 percent supported his reinstatement.
Yoon, who won the 2022 presidential election by a margin of 0.73 percent, never saw his approval rating rise above 53 percent, according to Gallup Korea. His ratings have remained below the mark of 40 percent since the fifth week of June 2022.
South Korea's population recorded 51.18 million as of March, meaning 30 million people would be equivalent to about 59 percent of the population.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
