section_path: Investigation and arrest warrant/Public demonstrations
section_name: Public demonstrations
paragraph_text: Public demonstrations
  
  Following the issuance of Yoon's arrest warrant on 31 December 2024 and Yoon's subsequent addresses to his supporters, thousands of protesters gathered near Hangangjin station to support Yoon amid temperatures dropping to −3 °C (27 °F), claiming his innocence and alleging electoral fraud in the previous April's general election. Supporters set up tea and snack stations near the protest site. Several pro-Yoon supporters waved American and South Korean flags during the rallies, and shouted slogans including "We will protect President Yoon Suk Yeol!" and "Nullify the impeachment!". During this period, Yoon maintained communication with supporters through public statements, watching their protests via YouTube livestreams. Several demonstrators maintained an overnight vigil on the night of 2–3 January, conducting prayer sessions in the street before the main protests began.
  
  On 1 January 2025, Yoon released a statement to his supporters claiming, "The Republic of Korea is currently in danger due to internal and external forces threatening its sovereignty," and vowed to "fight alongside you to the very end to protect this nation." Opposition lawmakers criticized this message as inflammatory, with Democratic Party spokesperson Jo Seoung-lae describing Yoon as "delusional" and accusing him of attempting to incite confrontations.
  
  By 9:30 am on 3 January, unofficial police estimates placed the crowd at approximately 1,200 people. Law enforcement deployed about 2,700 police officers, 135 police buses, and several specialized units in order to prevent potential clashes between pro-Yoon and anti-Yoon demonstrators, following confrontations between the two parties the previous day. Violent clashes occurred between rival parties outside the presidential compound, with some pro-Yoon supporters physically blocking access to the residence. Bae Hoon, a 46-year-old anti-Yoon protester, reported that demonstrators were "hit and assaulted multiple times by those waving national flags." Several pro-Yoon supporters lay down on a road leading to the presidential residence, with Korean officers removing them. Several protesters beat large drums and chanted slogans such as "Arrest the Supreme Prosecutors' Office!", "We won!", "Cheer up, Yoon Suk Yeol!", or "Cheer up, Presidential Security Service!"
  
  Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae accused Yoon of "watching far-right YouTube videos at the presidential residence for a month and inciting far-right forces", regarding the response of Yoon's supporters.