Tractors from the Jeon Bong-jun Task Force of the Korean Peasants League (Jeonnong), which staged a rally in Seoul to demand the arrest of President Yoon Suk-yeol, pass through Hangangjin Station in Yongsan District on December 22, heading toward the presidential residence. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 22 (Korea Bizwire) – A farmers’ protest led by the Korean Peasants League (Jeonnong) escalated into a tense standoff in Seoul, with tractors and demonstrators clashing with police near the presidential residence.
The protest, involving 30 tractors and dozens of trucks, highlighted growing discontent over agricultural policies and culminated in a large rally demanding the resignation of President Yoon Suk-yeol.
The convoy, which had traveled from across the country, was intercepted at Namtaeryeong Pass by police using barricades of buses, sparking a 28-hour standoff.
Clashes occurred as protesters attempted to lift barricades with tractors, leading to broken windows and heightened tensions. Supporters, including social groups and opposition lawmakers, joined the scene overnight.
On December 22, police dismantled the barricades following negotiations involving Democratic Party lawmakers. By the afternoon, 10 tractors reached the vicinity of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, joining a separate rally near Hangangjin Station.
Participants cheer as they watch tractors during the “Citizens’ Rally to Demand Guarantee of Farmers’ March for President Yoon Suk-yeol’s Arrest and Detention,” held at Hangangjin Station in Yongsan District, Seoul, on the afternoon of December 22. (Yonhap)
Protesters, estimated at 3,000 by police and 10,000 by organizers, chanted slogans such as “Arrest Yoon Suk-yeol” and criticized the government’s agricultural policies, including the veto of the Grain Management Act.
The standoff caused significant disruption, with major roads blocked for nearly two days, leading to severe traffic congestion. Two protesters were arrested for obstructing police duties, and several participants were treated for hypothermia amid freezing temperatures.
The Jeon Bong-jun Task Force of the Korean Peasants League, which drove tractors to Seoul to demand the arrest of President Yoon Suk-yeol, is blocked by police buses in Namtaeryeong, Seocho District, Seoul, on December 21. (Yonhap)
The Democratic Party condemned the police barricade as an excessive use of force, with spokesperson Kim Seong-hui stating, “The reckless suppression of protests by Yoon Suk-yeol’s administration must not be repeated.”
Lawmakers also criticized acting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo for his role in the controversial agricultural policy decisions.
The protest reflects rising tensions over government policies affecting rural communities, with demands for policy changes and greater accountability from leadership.
Despite the peaceful conclusion of the rally, the incident underscores a growing divide between the administration and civil society.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
