Seoul, SOUTH KOREA – Following South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s startling Tuesday declaration of martial law, protesters took to the streets to voice their anger.
Civilians responded to the national crisis by gathering on National Assembly Avenue, where protests were taking place throughout the week.
Inside the National Assembly subway station on Friday, riders could see a makeshift stand and foam boards with messages advocating for Yoon’s impeachment. The Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination organization was in charge of the booth, and they said removing Yoon from office would ensure protection of the fundamental rights of people with disabilities.
In an interview with Youth Journalism International, Park Joo Seok, who is the organization’s policy director, spoke about the urgent need to address the issue of disability rights amid the ongoing chaos.
Park emphasized how – despite Yoon’s promise to implement adequate welfare policies for people with disabilities – budget spending for such initiatives has decreased and that people with disabilities still faced significant struggles in their daily lives, such as having to wait 30 minutes to call a taxi.
He also recounted the day of the declaration of martial law as one that disrupted a planned overnight protest. December 3 was not only the day abrupt martial law was implemented, but it was also International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Park described how his organization was ready to sleep in front of the National Assembly as an act of protest at the time martial law was declared, forcing them to leave, since the right to protest is strictly limited under martial law.
Park expressed his concerns for the future of democracy even if impeachment is successful. He highlighted how impeachment should not be the final objective and that citizens should focus on advancing democracy and making certain that every individual is treated equally, no matter their physical abilities.
Outside the station, there was the sound of intense shouting in the distance. Even though the temperature was lingering around freezing, people were not hesitant to gather around and exchange their thoughts on the status quo.
People interviewed were severely divided on the matter at hand. While a majority of protesters wanted Yoon to be impeached, there was a separate protest happening right beside theirs, with people backing the president.
The tension in the air was palpable. With just one avenue in between them, the two groups – one supportive of the impeachment and one against it – screamed at each other.
The two groups took turns using their microphones, with protesters against impeachment first to begin.
The first speaker was keen to divide the two groups by shouting at the people opposite the avenue. The man yelled that those with opposing views were distracting their protest and that it was a crime to do so. He even went as far as to pinpoint specific individuals and ordered those on his side to take photos of the counter-protesters. The speaker also threatened to sue one of the counter-protesters for screaming opposing views.
Overall, since conflicting opinions collided, there was lots of shouting. People began cursing at one another and police physically restrained civilians when they could not control their tempers.
There was even one instance when one person decided to criticize someone else for handing out signs with “Leader of Civil War Yoon Suk Yeol, Arrest Him Immediately!” written on them, and the police had to tear the two apart to resolve the fight.
Two of the protesters agitating for impeachment met up at the scene after exchanging texts online. In an interview, they said they hoped to make a difference by showing up.
Film director Shin Yoon Ho was eager to share his experience with the current situation. On the night when martial law was declared, he recalled, he rushed over to the National Assembly building the moment he knew about what had happened.
Shin expressed that he was happy to see his fellow citizens show up to the scene that night and felt relieved that people were taking action in a timely manner. But he also explained how he was worried for the people who had gathered. That’s why he said he decided to patrol the outskirts of the building to identify possible dangers in the area.
Shin said he was especially determined to stand up to martial law because he had painful memories of the Gwangju Uprising in 1980 where people fought against the dictatorship of Chun Doo Hwan, former president and dictator of South Korea.
Shin was just three at the time, and he said experiencing martial law after so much time had passed made him remember those hurtful memories and gave him a post-traumatic stress response.
When asked about why he decided to come to the protests, Shin stated that after martial law was declared, he came out to protest two times before showing up again on Friday.
Shin said he is part of an online community that distributed critical information about when and where protests were happening, which was how he was able to meet up with fellow protester Shin Mi Young.
Even though they had never seen each other in real life, they had come out in a collective effort to not only to protest but to also foster dialogue among people who wanted to participate by arriving at the scene to collect information so more people could easily gain access to the events.
As for the desired outcome of the protests, Shin Yoon Ho was quick to explain how he wanted both conservation and change. He mentioned his desire for the motivation that brought people out onto the streets to be preserved. He said he believed that the willingness to protest made Korean society resilient to such threats to democracy.
As for the change aspect, Shin Yoon Ho said despite being a person who used to despise politics, he was still eager to see modern Korean politics unite people instead of dividing them. He wanted to see politics that did not see gender or race as an excuse to fight, but a meaningful opportunity to embrace each other.
Shin Mi Young had also visited the National Assembly building on the night of martial law. She recalled how all taxis refused to take her to the building, but she was still inclined to go because of how everyone was heading over even though transportation was limited.
The change she wanted to see with the protests, Shin Mi Young said, was providing everyone with the chance to speak. She discussed how most people were not politicians, and that inevitably meant a lack of opportunity to convey their thoughts. She perceived these protests as one of very few methods that allows anyone to express their opinions and engage, even though it may be the most minimal form of participation.
The protests went on deep into the night, hoping to make change before the big day. Today, Saturday, Dec. 7, the day after the protests, is when the National Assembly will hold a vote to decide whether or not the president should be impeached.
Although the result is unpredictable due to the many political circumstances that may affect the decision, it is evident that much anticipation is building both in the politics scene and in every household. Given the liveliness of the protests, it’s clear just how much is at stake.
Damian Nam is a Reporter with Youth Journalism International.
