President Yoon Suk-yeol's Inauguration Ceremony Draws Crowds of Citizens in Yeouido

On the morning of the 10th, around 7 a.m., citizens lined up waiting to enter the National Assembly building where the 20th presidential inauguration ceremony is being held. Photo by Oh Gyumin moh011@

[Asia Economy Reporters Oh Gyumin and Yoo Byungdon] “When else in life would I get to see a presidential inauguration?”

The area in front of the National Assembly building in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, was filled with excited citizens ahead of the 20th presidential inauguration. Although entry began at 8 a.m., about 200 citizens had lined up in front of the fences since around 6:30 a.m. Marching music echoed along with the vigorous sound of trumpets from the National Assembly lawn.

As the inauguration time approached, more citizens arrived to secure good spots. Office worker Choi Sangdae (46) took a day off and traveled from Daegu, departing at 1:30 a.m. Choi said, “I came early because I don’t think a day like this will come again.” Hwang (40), who came from Wonju, Gangwon-do with his third-grade elementary school daughter, stayed overnight in Seoul the day before. Hwang said, “Since my child has been interested in politics since the 2017 presidential election, I came to give her the experience.”

Citizens awaiting the inauguration expressed their expectations for the new president. University student Park Hyungbin (23) said President Yoon is “the president called by the people” and added, “I hope he doesn’t lose his initial resolve and governs the country remembering why he held power until the end.” Citizen Kim Hyunmoo (26) also said, “I wish for President Yoon’s success and hope he becomes a president who solves the job issues for people in their 20s.”

Additionally, with the crowds for the inauguration and commuters heading to work, nearby roads experienced severe congestion. The police fully restricted traffic from 1 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the sections from the National Assembly Boulevard in front of the Members’ Office Building to the southern end of Seogang Bridge, Yeouiseo-ro in front of the Members’ Office Building to the back road of the National Assembly to the southern end of Seogang Bridge, and Uisadang-daero from the National Assembly main gate to Yeouido Underpass to Yeouido Station. Because of this, it took more than 30 minutes to enter Yeouido from Yeouiharyu during rush hour, causing inconvenience for commuters.

Meanwhile, the protest sites in front of the National Assembly, which had been requested to be dismantled by the National Assembly Secretariat, remained quietly in place. The day before, the Presidential Security Service and related agencies, along with lawmakers, visited the protest sites and agreed to restrict citizen access from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the inauguration day.

Jang Yejung, co-executive director of the Coalition for the Enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Act, stated, “Seven people, including fasting participants and medical staff, are on standby, and people can come and go once the inauguration ends. Fortunately, the protest is proceeding smoothly, with access to the adjacent building’s open restrooms.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.