The main opposition Democratic Party criticised prosecutors’ decision for “throwing the country and people into crisis”, and urged the Constitutional Court to remove Yoon from office as soon as possible.
In his impeachment trial, the Constitutional Court is expected to decide in coming days whether to reinstate or remove Yoon.
On Saturday, some 55,000 Yoon supporters rallied in Seoul’s main districts, while 32,500 people demonstrated against him near the Constitutional Court, Yonhap news agency reported, citing unofficial police estimates.
The public, however, remains largely anti-Yoon, with 60 per cent of respondents saying he should be removed from office and 35 per cent opposing removal, according to a Gallup Korea poll on Friday.
Before the prosecutors’ decision, hundreds of Yoon supporters also protested in front of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.
Yoon, the first South Korean president to be arrested while in office, has been in custody since Jan 15.
