[News Today] ANTI-YOON RALLIES SPREAD

[LEAD]
Rallies calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol's resignation continued across the country. Universities also issued declarations also demanding his departure.

[REPORT]
"Step down! Step down!"

In candlelight vigils, citizens demanded the immediate resignation of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Choi Seo-hyun·Kim Hyun-ji / Anyang, Ansan residents
We should not live in fear of an uncertain future. The current state of the country makes people dread what could come tomorrow.

In Thursday's rally attended by 84 civic groups, participants said the martial law declaration was unconstitutional.

Yoon Bok-nam / Chair, Lawyers for a democratic society
To have the martial law commander ban public gatherings and arrest people without a warrant is an attempt to rule over the public with violence.

After the rally, the protestors headed to Yongsan where the presidential office is located.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions also held a rally outside the ruling People Power Party headquarters and urged the PPP to join the impeachment move.

Yang Kyung-soo / Chair, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
This is a matter where everyone, regardless of party lines or political leaning, must call out in one voice that it was wrong.

"Let's remove him! Let's remove him!"

At college campuses, students also issued statements calling for the president to step down.

Kim Do-hee / Sookmyung Women's Univ.
There's no guarantee a president who has used his veto power over 20 times won't declare martial law again. He mustn't stay in office even for one more day.

Many schools across the country took part in similar action including Hongik, Konkuk, Jeju National and Seoul Women's University.

Gang Tae / Hongik University
Yoon promised to build a country where young people can dream of a better future. Two and a half years later, why are we still struggling?

The student body at Seoul National University which convened a council meeting for the first time in five years discussed follow-up measures to the martial law incident.

On Friday morning, student councils at around ten universities including Yonsei and Korea University held a joint news conference demanding Yoon's resignation.