As South Korea awaits a Constitutional Court ruling on the impeachment of suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol, right-wing pastor Jun Kwang-hoon has escalated his rhetoric, vowing “revolution” if the court upholds Yoon’s removal.
Jun, a vocal defender of Yoon’s controversial martial law declaration on December 3, has been rallying support among his followers, branding the president’s move as a “gift from God.” Addressing hundreds of supporters on March 9 outside Yoon’s residence, he warned, “If the Constitutional Court decides to impeach him, we will mobilize the people’s right to resist and blow them away with one swoop of the blade.”
Concerns Over Potential Unrest
Authorities are bracing for potential unrest, granting police special permission to use pepper spray and collapsible batons if protests turn violent. Concerns have mounted following an incident in January when Jun’s followers stormed a courthouse, leading to arrests. Officials fear similar disruptions when the court delivers its verdict later in March.
Jun, once a fringe figure in South Korean politics, has gained prominence as Yoon’s most outspoken defender. He claims North Korea is backing the country’s democratic opposition and has repeatedly promoted unfounded allegations of election fraud—narratives that align with Yoon’s legal defense.
The pastor is already under police investigation for his role in the January courthouse riot, but this has not deterred him from doubling down on his inflammatory messaging.
A New Far-Right Movement
Jun has successfully mobilized a previously marginalized far-right constituency, experts say. His core supporters include elderly South Koreans shaped by Cold War-era anti-communism and a younger, predominantly male group immersed in online political discourse.
“Pastor Jun speaks for the people,” said 37-year-old Park Jun-seo at a pro-Yoon rally on March 8. Another supporter, Seo Hui-won, in his 60s, described Jun as “fighting on the front lines” of a war against communism.
South Korea’s ruling People Power Party (PPP) has also taken notice. Key conservative politicians have joined Jun’s rallies, crediting him with energizing their voter base. This alignment has helped mainstream what were once considered fringe conspiracy theories.
“Once relegated to the fringes, these narratives have now been legitimized by Yoon, the PPP, and far-right media,” said sociology professor Jeon Sang-jin from Seoul’s Sogang University.
A Nation on Edge
If the Constitutional Court upholds Yoon’s impeachment, he will become South Korea’s second president formally removed from office, triggering a new election within 60 days. The last presidential removal, that of Park Geun-hye in 2017, resulted in violent riots—raising fears that history could repeat itself.
Experts warn that Yoon’s hardline messaging and Jun’s mobilization efforts could provoke further unrest.
“This kind of messaging may provoke his supporters to reject the Constitutional Court’s verdict and incite another violent incident like the courthouse riot last month,” said constitutional law professor Lim Ji-bong.
Such unrest, he cautioned, could not only undermine South Korea’s judiciary but also destabilize its political foundation at its core.
