How a thousand-strong protest materialized minutes after Yoon's late-night surprise
Published: 04 Dec. 2024, 18:55
Updated: 04 Dec. 2024, 20:59
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- LEE JAE-LIM
- [email protected]
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
![Civilians outside the National Assembly complex in Yeouido, western Seoul on Wednesday hold posters made by Candle Action. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/12/04/f32ce37a-67cc-417b-b7d7-2b93f9899a36.jpg)
Civilians outside the National Assembly complex in Yeouido, western Seoul on Wednesday hold posters made by Candle Action. [NEWS1]
Less than an hour after Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, placing Korea under military rule, thousands of people had already assembled at the gates of the National Assembly, denouncing the decision with signs and banners.
For much of the crowd, spanning politicians, civic groups, journalists, YouTubers and civilians from all walks of life, the occasion marked the most chaotic six-hour political crisis Korea has seen in decades. But for Seoul's activists, it was just another Tuesday.
“We protest Yoon every week,” a member of progressive civic group Candle Action matter-of-factly told the Korea JoongAng Daily.
As protesters began to gather at the complex in Yeouido, western Seoul, after the surprise 10:30 p.m. announcement, Candle Action members were already on the scene, distributing hundreds of placards emblazoned with the words “Impeach Yoon Suk Yeol” as if they'd somehow foreseen the extraordinary situation.
They'd had no such foresight, however — the signs were left over from another march for Yoon's impeachment the group had organized just a few days ago.
“The posters and placards we used in the early morning were leftovers from the Candle Action protest we organized last Saturday,” the activist calmly explained, adding, “We usually request 2,000 to 3,000 per week from the printing press.”
Slogans and signs weren't the only way in which the outspoken crowd — which had swelled to as many as 10,000 by 12:30 a.m., one observer told the Korea JoongAng Daily on condition of anonymity — voiced their defiance against Yoon's declaration, which legally placed news outlets under military command.
And they weren't the only element of the protest that seemed to materialize in seconds after the surprise. A network of YouTube channels and group chats brought thousands quickly to the scene, underscoring such infrastructure's centrality in Korea's modern politics.
The full 155 minutes of martial law, between Yoon's declaration and the unanimous vote to overturn it, were livestreamed by outlets and citizens alike. Politicians broadcast the scene inside of the parliamentary chamber, with the YouTube channel of National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik surpassing 600,000 viewers. DP leader Lee Jae-myung livestreamed himself as he scaled a wall in order to enter the compound, amassing 2.38 million watchers.
DP leader Lee Jae-myung livestreamed his race to the National Assembly after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on South Korea.
OhmyNews led the news coverage of Yoon's decree announcement with a peak concurrent viewership of 640,000, surpassing the 530,000 who tuned into MBC's YouTube channel.
Despite being physically scattered, anyone with a smartphone and internet access could connect to various online communities and join protests organized by different interest groups.
The DP sent text messages to its members at 11:37 p.m., asking them to gather in Yeouido to protest to the decree.
![Civilians outside the National Assembly complex in Yeouido, western Seoul on Wednesday hold posters made by Candle Action [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/12/04/39ccc09d-335b-4f9b-922d-7e4285e50199.jpg)
Civilians outside the National Assembly complex in Yeouido, western Seoul on Wednesday hold posters made by Candle Action [NEWS1]
Members of progressive online community Clien urged users to gather in front of the assembly building.
“I’m in Bundang, but I’m heading over to Yeouido now,” wrote one poster, a journey that typically takes over an hour by public transportation. “All because of one madman.”
A Reddit poster applauded to the people who'd nimbly convened to show their opposition to the law.
“Korean citizens were blocking the entrance to parliament from the military,” they wrote. “Those guys are heroes. They allowed parliament to end this [expletive] quickly.”
BY LEE JAE-LIM, CHO YONG-JUN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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