Progressives, conservatives hold rival rallies on martial-law anniversary

Dec 03, 2025, 09:04 am

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Progressive and conservative groups hold separate rallies near the National Assembly in Seoul. / Yonhap

On the first anniversary of the December 3 martial-law incident, large-scale rallies from both progressive and conservative camps are set to take place Wednesday near the National Assembly in Seoul.

 

At 7 p.m., the Emergency Action Committee for Clearing the December 3 Insurrection and Advancing Social Reform—a coalition of progressive groups—will hold a mass civic march near Exit 6 of the National Assembly Station. Around 3,000 participants are expected to gather to mark the first anniversary of blocking the martial-law attempt, marching toward the People Power Party headquarters. President Lee Jae-myung, along with members of the Democratic Party, the Rebuilding Korea Party, and the Progressive Party, is scheduled to attend. The committee is a restructured version of the group that previously organized pro-impeachment rallies.

 

Conservative organizations will stage counter-rallies around the legislature. A group of right-leaning activists, including “Young People for Liberal Democracy,” plans to rally at 5 p.m. near Exit 2 of the National Assembly Station with roughly 100 participants. At 7 p.m.—the same time the progressive march begins—they will hold a separate demonstration asserting the legitimacy of the martial-law declaration. At 10:27 p.m., the exact time martial law was declared last year, they plan to stage a symbolic performance.

Other conservative groups, including New Freedom Solidarity and Liberty University, will rally at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. respectively near Exit 3 of the National Assembly Station and in front of the People Power Party headquarters, calling for President Lee’s resignation and urging the ruling party to respond more forcefully to opposition demands related to the martial-law incident.

 

B.O.S.S. Hongdae, a group supporting former president Yoon Suk-yeol, will hold a rally earlier in the morning near Hongdae Station before marching toward the presidential office in Yongsan.

#December 3 martial-law anniversary #Progressive–conservative rival rallies #Lee Jae-myung participation 
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