Police said Wednesday that they requested the Transport Ministry to designate a temporary "no-fly zone” over the Constitutional Court premises to prevent potential terrorist threats on the day that President Yoon Suk Yeol’s verdict is delivered.
Though the exact date for the announcement of Yoon's verdict remained unclear as of Wednesday, police said they asked the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to set a no-fly zone within a 1.85 kilometer radius of the court building from Thursday until the end of the month.
Police plan to deploy signal jammers to intercept unauthorized drones flying over the court building and take legal action against operators once the "no-fly zone" is designated.
Earlier this month, police announced they would heighten security to the highest level outside the court when the verdict is delivered.
They are reportedly reviewing whether to ban the release of firearms and track down the locations of gun owners in real-time via cellphone GPS on the verdict day. Instructing police stations nationwide to prohibit the discharge of guns used to kill dangerous wild animals is also being considered.
Police said they would also reinspect the purpose of firearm usage of those who have received permission to own one in the past two months.
By law, individuals authorized by local governments and police stations can own and store firearms for hunting and pest control. Even outside of the hunting season, which is usually between November and February, firearms can be used to protect crops from wild boars and birds.
This move echoes the security measures taken in 2017 when police imposed a total ban on the release of firearms before the impeachment ruling of former President Park Geun-hye.
As of 2024, there were 106,678 legally owned firearms in South Korea, including those held by individuals and organizations with police authorization.
According to news reports, about one-tenth of the approximately 130,000 police officers nationwide could be mobilized for the day of the verdict.
Seoul Metropolitan Police Chief Park Hyun-soo said in a press briefing Monday that the Jongno and Jung-gu districts will be divided into eight sections designated as special crime prevention zones — a broader effort to ensure public safety amid anticipated large-scale protests and gatherings surrounding the impeachment ruling.
With major court verdicts set for Thursday, it is likely that the court will announce its ruling on the suspended president next week.
caption: An aerial shot of the Constitutional Court of Korea building surrounded by police buses in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Tuesday. (Yonhap)
ddd@heraldcorp.com
