On a cold Friday evening, university students filled the streets of Sinchon in Seodaemun-gu, western Seoul, urging for the impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and the severe punishment of those involved in his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law.
At around 6 p.m., the streets of Yonseiro in Sinchon, generally filled with busking performances by young performers at this hour, began to swell with students instead, who held signs reading “Yoon Suk Yeol, step down immediately” and shouted, “We condemn martial law” and “Impeach Yoon Suk Yeol now.”
According to the Student Union Forum, the organizer of Friday’s joint protest, students from 19 universities, including Seoul National University, Yonsei University, Korea University, Ewha Womans University and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, participated in the demonstration.
Students from universities outside the capital city, including the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Daejeon and Pusan National University in Busan, were also present at Friday’s protest. A police official on site confirmed to The Korea Herald that around 5,000 protesters were estimated to have gathered as of 7:30 p.m.
To signal the event's start, two students from SNU stood before the crowd to read a joint statement signed by 44 universities as part of the Student Union Forum.
“Amid the unstable political situation, the people of South Korea are engulfed in fear and anxiety,” one student read to the crowd on Friday. “In a society rife with hostility and anger, we strive to protect our democracy. Just as our predecessors did, we are raising our voices once again.”
Throughout the event, individual students took the stage to voice their opinions against Yoon regarding his short-lived martial law declaration as well as his apology that followed on Dec. 7. Students also criticized the ruling People Power Party lawmakers for boycotting the vote for his impeachment on Dec. 7.
Being exam season for most universities in South Korea, some students sitting in the crowd were spotted with their laptops open, either studying or clacking on keys to type up reports.
“I have an exam in four days. I’m busier more than ever now since I have to study and work on assignments while also going to the protests -- all thanks to the president,” Choi Seo-yoon, a Yonsei University student, told The Korea Herald.
Lee Han-jun, who attends SNU, told The Korea Herald that he came to Friday’s protest out of “anger and determination.”
“The fact that we’re able to take exams, study what we want to study and live our daily lives normally has always been based on the solid foundation of our constitutional order and democracy,” Lee said. “The thought that this foundation could collapse was terrifying and unbearable to even think about, and this fear compelled me to take to the streets today.”
The student protest was peaceful, resembling a university festival with students dancing along to performances led by rock band Galaxy Express and K-pop hits such as G-Dragon’s “Crooked” and Day6’s “Welcome to the Show,” which have recently entered the rotation as protest anthems. Some students showed up with K-pop glow sticks, which have also emerged as a symbol of protest in Korea.
While dancing and singing along to the music, the students collectively chanted, “Impeach him, arrest him,” urging for Yoon’s impeachment and trial, as the president faces charges of insurrection, mutiny and abuse of power.
“I never participated in protests like this before. I’ve always felt a little repulsed by them,” Seong Hui-ra, a Sogang University student, told The Korea Herald. “But the martial law declaration last week impacted everyone’s lives, whether you’re interested in politics or not. We can’t deny that. I came here with anger to grab the attention of lawmakers tomorrow who will vote on Yoon’s impeachment bill. I hope the results won’t be disappointing.”
The National Assembly will vote for a second time on the motion to impeach Yoon at 4 p.m. on Saturday, after the initial bill was scrapped following the ruling People Power Party’s mass boycott. If Saturday’s impeachment motion reaches 200 votes in favor from the 300-member National Assembly, Yoon will be immediately suspended as president. He would then face the Constitutional Court's judgement.
