Caught In A Carnival-Like Protest In South Korea
What was meant to be the start of an adventurous week-long solo backpacking trip to South Korea took an unexpected turn for Bernama journalist Soon Li Wei when she found herself in the midst of a protest rally. Following are her observations of one of the demonstrations that erupted in the republic after its now-suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on the night of Dec 3.
Arriving in Gyeongju after an uneventful three-hour journey by bus from Seoul on Dec 14, I looked forward to doing a bit of sightseeing in this charming old city, located in the southeastern part of South Korea.
At the city’s express bus terminal, I turned to my Naver app to show me the directions to my accommodation, which was about a 25-minute walk away. As I walked, soaking in the calm yet historic vibes of the town, a faint sound caught my attention.
Only when I got closer to the “source” of the sound – in the vicinity of the royal tomb of King Naemul, a famous landmark here – did it dawn on me that a protest was going on. Of course, it did not come as a surprise to me considering that the National Assembly was preparing to vote on the then South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment that very day.
Some police cars were parked near the protest site where people had started gathering. They were chanting slogans whilst holding blue-red placards bearing messages written in Hangul, the Korean alphabet. I tried using my Google Translate lens from my smartphone to translate the words that appeared in front of me.
One young protester I spoke to told me in his heavily accented English that their main message for the day was this: “Get down President Yoon! Get down President Yoon!” Since I liked the carnival-like atmosphere of the gathering, I decided to join the crowd!
K-POP ATMOSPHERE
But, honestly, I was initially worried the ongoing political instability may foil my plan to go backpacking and meet up with my friend Jeong Soo who is a reporter with a local daily there.
My family advised me to cancel my visit, following reports by the international media that the political turmoil had somewhat affected South Korea’s tourism industry.
But the reports I read of protest-themed songs blaring from loudspeakers, crowds of mostly young protesters braving the cold and the K-pop concert-like atmosphere of the political rallies piqued my curiosity. I simply had to go and see it for myself.
Meanwhile, going back to the rally on the grounds of the royal tomb of King Naemul, which I literally bumped into on the day I arrived, I texted my friend Jeong Soo who was in Seoul and sent her some videos of the crowd. She told me they were awaiting the results of the impeachment vote against Yoon’s presidency. (The unicameral National Assembly eventually voted 204 to 85 to impeach Yoon.)
It was 4 pm local time then and was freezing cold. Here, the winter temperatures can drop to as low as -3° Celsius. My hands felt almost numb whenever I had to remove my gloves to take pictures of the rally.
At the front left of the crowd, there was a large screen displaying live broadcasts from the National Assembly building in Seoul. To its right was a stage where speeches were delivered.
As the minutes ticked by, the crowd swelled, spilling onto the open space. The live broadcasts kept everyone on edge. Even the older people among the protesters joined in, chanting slogans with fiery passion and waving banners presumably demanding the president to step down.
Later, the protesters shouted and cheered loudly when the screen showed news of the president’s impeachment. (Yoon’s presidential authority was subsequently suspended and, according to Jeong Soo, he will be removed from office if the impeachment is approved by the Constitutional Court, which has 180 days to decide. Prime Minister Han Duck Soo was put in charge of state affairs as acting president. However, on Dec 27, South Korea’s Parliament voted to impeach acting president Han, prolonging the republic’s leadership crisis.)
DRINKS AND SNACKS
By now, the crowd had grown even larger, with more people arriving to distribute hot packs, drinks and snacks, turning the whole site into a carnival.
I had read before about how South Koreans take care of one another during winter rallies, ensuring no one freezes in the cold – I could not believe I actually got to experience this myself!
The rally was conducted in the Korean language – I could not understand a word they said but their excitement was contagious and I felt thrilled too.
When a young man handed me a hot pack and a cup of hot tea, I uttered, “Chukgahaeyo” (congratulations in Korean). His face instantly lit up with happiness as he turned to thank me in Korean, but when I said ‘Thank you’ to him, he said in English, “You know about this… even outside South Korea?” I smiled and replied, “Yes, I’ve been following it!”
Earlier, as the impeachment vote for the embattled president loomed, the protesters chanted satirical rhymes and sang both Christmas songs and K-pop hits, holding light sticks that cast a vibrant glow against the backdrop of a stunning sunset at 5 pm.
When the screen displayed the music video of the song ‘Into the New World’ by Girls Generation, the crowd’s energy surged and the protesters sang along. For a moment, I felt as though I was at an open-air live concert.
Locals explained to me that the song was often used as a tool for activism and has been featured in the country’s annual queer parade since 2016.
The day grew darker and the rally ended around 7 pm. To my surprise, not a single piece of trash was left behind as the protesters had cleaned up the area before leaving. I was truly impressed by their sense of responsibility and teamwork.
WEEKEND PROTESTS
Based on my observations and experiences as a tourist in South Korea from Dec 13 to 21, the rallies there were devoid of violence or any threat to public safety. In fact, they only served to strengthen the bonds of unity among its citizens.
Korean Interculture expert and Korean-English interpreter Jane Kim Jihye, who is from Gyeonggi, South Korea, said what struck her about the protests was how such demonstrations have evolved over time in her country.
“The protest space, once associated with fear and potential violence, has transformed into a platform for collective expression, reflecting a broader shift in South Korean society,” she said.
She said she even allowed her daughter, a middle school student, to join the protests with her friends during weekends to experience the atmosphere first-hand and understand what it feels like to be part of such an event.
“What struck me most is how protests have evolved over time. For my child, a protest is no longer a dangerous or threatening event,” she said, adding that in terms of last month’s protests, they became a focal point for the public during the weekends, with many workers joining the demonstrations after their workweek.
Kim said in the old days, protests were often associated with danger, where sometimes firebombs were thrown and tear gas filled the air.
She said changes in South Korea’s protest culture were visible even during the impeachment protests in 2016-2017 against former president Park Geun-hye, sparked by a corruption scandal.
“The 2016-2017 candlelight vigils were largely peaceful, with participants cleaning up after themselves and the protests garnering international attention for their civility.
“Those protests, which focused on moral outrage over (allegations of) government corruption, demonstrated a shift in how protests were viewed both within South Korea and abroad,” she added.
