March 1st Rallies Shrink From Peak, But Traffic Woes Persist

"Unite for Syngman Rhee! Fight and Win!"

At 11 a.m. on March 1st, the sidewalk in front of Dongwha Duty Free in Gwanghwamun, Jongno-gu, Seoul, was filled with people holding Korean and American flags. Attendees at the national Sunday joint worship service hosted by Sarang Jeil Church—formerly led by the now-imprisoned Pastor Jun Kwang-hoon—raised their hands and repeatedly chanted slogans including "President Yoon Suk-yeol" and "Free Jun Kwang-hoon." Participants waved Korean and American flags while singing hymns.

At the same time, the Ten Million People Movement Headquarters (comprising the Uri Republican Party, Freedom and Innovation, Freedom Unification Party, and Liberal Democratic Party) held a "March 1st Memorial Rally" in front of Exit 4 of Seoul Station, demanding the resignation of President Lee Jae-myung and the resumption of his trial. Chants of "Down with the Lee Jae-myung dictatorship" and "Resume the trial of criminal Lee Jae-myung immediately" echoed from the stage. In the afternoon, another conservative group called "Bellado" held a "Yoon Again" rally near Marronnier Park in Daehangno and marched to Gyeongbokgung Palace.

However, despite March 1st historically being one of the year's largest rally days, this year's gatherings were noticeably smaller than last year. While 10,000 participants were registered for the Dongwha Duty Free location, only several hundred actually attended. The Ten Million People Movement Headquarters and Bellado reported 5,000 and 3,000 participants respectively, but empty spaces were visible throughout both venues. Police presence was also scaled back, with barricades minimizing contact between demonstrators and pedestrians and traffic control limited to march routes. Seoul Metropolitan Police mobile units were stationed at Sejong-daero intersection to assist pedestrian flow.

Last year's March 1st rallies took place about a month before the Constitutional Court ruling on former President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment, amid intense confrontation between progressive and conservative groups. Sejong-daero was packed with participants. Prominent politicians from both the People Power Party and the Democratic Party of Korea attended various events. Police deployed bus barricades to prevent clashes between the two sides.

Rally participants appeared to sense the changed atmosphere. Kim, 73, who traveled from Pocheon for the Gwanghwamun rally, said: "Rain or shine, I participate in rallies every week."

Park, an office worker in his 30s who attended last year's March 1st rally, said: "Compared to last year, the atmosphere is definitely much more subdued. Back then, participants were energetic, but now people are just making minimal effort to voice their opinions. Still, I made time to attend because I felt conservative rallies would lose momentum if no one showed up."

On February 28 at around 11:30 a.m., the National Movement Headquarters for Reforming Korea held a rally near Dongwha Duty Free at Gwanghwamun Square. Police unofficially estimated attendance at approximately 10,000. The progressive civic group Candlelight Action held a rally with an estimated 500 participants in front of the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu starting at 4 p.m., calling for the impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae.

Despite smaller rallies, traffic disruptions continued for residents. The three-day holiday weekend, including the substitute holiday, saw consecutive downtown events including rallies and marathons, making traffic control unavoidable.

Taxi driver Baek said: "When rallies cluster together, taxi drivers avoid taking calls. Yesterday there was high demand in Gangnam, but no one wanted to go there because traffic was so bad." He added: "Democracy is important, but causing inconvenience to others is a problem. Regulations are needed."

Yoon, 42, a six-year resident of Sajik-dong, said: "On weekends, road closures make it nearly impossible for cars to enter. Before 6 p.m., it takes an extra 30 minutes compared to normal."

Many residents also complained about noise from speakers and littering. Byun, 22, who commutes to Gwanghwamun for work, said: "I've gotten used to rally noise on weekends." Hwang Won-jun, 29, from Yeongdeungpo-gu, said: "I believe in freedom of expression, but the speaker volume is too loud." Cho, in her 40s from Dongjak-gu, said: "I went out with my child and was bothered by cigarette smoke and noise."

Cigarette butts discarded by rally participants were frequently visible around Exit 4 of Seoul Station. At Gwanghwamun, one citizen was seen picking up a placard left on the ground by rally participants.

Similar scenes are expected on the final day of the holiday weekend. On March 2nd, the "2026 Half Race Seoul Marathon" will start at Gwanghwamun Square and proceed through Jongno and Cheonho-daero to Jamsil Sports Complex. The marathon staging area on Sejong-daero, from Gwanghwamun intersection to Sejong intersection, will be closed from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. Police and event organizers plan to deploy approximately 956 traffic officers and management personnel.