Police are stationed around the Constitutional Court in central Seoul, Thursday, amid growing concerns about violent protests by people who support or oppose President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment if the verdict is different from their expectations. Yonhap

Police will deploy all available resources to prevent any potential civil unrest on the day of the Constitutional Court's ruling on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, which is expected later this month.

The plan follows a January incident at the Seoul Western District Court, when far-right conservative protesters supporting Yoon stormed the building, leading to physical confrontations with police and damage to property. As the nation is sharply divided over the president's impeachment, concerns are rising that those who are against the verdict may turn violent.

Previously, when Park Geun-hye's impeachment was confirmed on March 10, 2017, a protest by her supporters resulted in four deaths. The deaths were attributed to pushing by the crowd, heart problems and a falling speaker.

Potential targets of violence include not only courts but also foreign embassies here, for which the police also plan to intensify guards.

"We will mobilize all police forces to prevent the recurrence of violence and block any physical clashes between those for and against Yoon's impeachment," said Lee Ho-young, the acting chief of the National Police Agency, citing the possibility of violence erupting at the Constitutional Court.

As of Thursday, nearly 600 posts featuring the word "riot" had been uploaded to the Constitutional Court's online bulletin board since the impeachment trial began on Jan. 14. Most of these posts warned that the court's verdict on Yoon's impeachment would trigger large-scale riots.

Similar threats and violent remarks have spread online, and offline rallies have become more aggressive recently, with participants frequently threatening to destroy the Constitutional Court and the National Election Commission. Far-right protesters have accused the commission of election fraud, a claimed pushed by Yoon.

Police plan to issue their highest-level alert on the day of the verdict, which is usually issued on the occasion of massive protests involving violence or terrorist attacks or when such incidents are highly likely to occur. Under that alert, all police officers are barred from taking leave and should be ready for mobilization. The last time the alert was made was in 2010 when a G20 summit was held in Seoul.

Police are also considering deploying special operations units near the Constitutional Court to handle rescue operations in the event of safety incidents, such as a crowd crush.

Security will also be reinforced at the U.S., Japanese and Chinese embassies in Seoul, based on the assessment that these embassies could be targeted depending on the verdict.

The increased security measures for embassies follow an incident earlier this year in which an apparent supporter of Yoon attempted to storm the Chinese Embassy. Anti-China protests and accusations of Chinese interference in Korea's elections have gained momentum among Yoon's supporters.

An office is damaged inside the Seoul Western District Court, Jan. 19, the day after the court issued an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol, which sparked a riot by his far-right supporters. Yonhap

Patrol cars have been stationed at the homes of Constitutional Court justices, and a dedicated security team has been deployed to ensure their safety.

Police plan to restrict passage around Anguk Station and the Constitutional Court, where both pro- and anti-impeachment rallies are set to take place.

Schools in the vicinity of the court will likely be closed on the day of the verdict due to fears of violent protests, according to Seoul Jungbu District Office of Education.