Courthouse riot demonstrates rise of angry young men on Korea's right-wing vanguard

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Courthouse riot demonstrates rise of angry young men on Korea's right-wing vanguard

Pro-Yoon Suk Yeol protesters rally near the Constitutional Court in Jongno District, central Seoul on Jan. 21. Young men in their 20s and 30s made up around half of the Yoon supporters that stormed the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Jan. 19. [YONHAP]

Pro-Yoon Suk Yeol protesters rally near the Constitutional Court in Jongno District, central Seoul on Jan. 21. Young men in their 20s and 30s made up around half of the Yoon supporters that stormed the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Jan. 19. [YONHAP]

 
Police say around half of the President Yoon Suk Yeol supporters who stormed the Seoul Western District Court on Sunday were men in their 20s and 30s, demonstrating the demographic's prominence in Korea's right-wing vanguard.
 
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Monday, 46 of the 90 individuals arrested on Sunday were in their 20s and 30s. Many were reportedly men.  
 

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During the Dec. 3 martial law crisis and the ongoing impeachment proceedings, men in their 20s and 30s have been central to political controversies and debates. They have not only led violent group actions but have also recently emerged as a factor driving the conservative People Power Party (PPP)'s rising support numbers. 

Men in their 20s and 30s, disillusioned by a perceived lack of social mobility, played a pivotal role in Yoon’s victory in the last presidential election, driven by anti-feminist sentiments and enthusiastic support for pledges like abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. 
 
However, the demographic turned away from the conservative party after controversies such as the ouster of now Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok as PPP chairman and the promise to abolish the ministry was unfulfilled.  
 
Recently, the allegiances of the demographic seemingly shifted once more.  
 
“What’s the point of being nonviolent?” said a man in his 30s, who participated in the protest at the Western District Court, told the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of Korea JoongAng Daily. “That’s how we ended up losing the president."
 
Apart from radical actions, more men in their 20s and 30s attend conservative rallies, often featuring flags of Korea — the Taegeukgi — and the United States.
 
A People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker who visited the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, central Seoul, earlier this month said, "In the past, Taegeukgi rallies were mostly attended by the elderly, but recently, I was surprised to see many younger participants."
 
At such rallies, it is not uncommon to see some people in their 20s and 30s leading the atmosphere with light sticks nicknamed "commie destroyers" or holding signs with slogans like “Stop the Steal,” initially used by supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump to protest groundless election fraud allegations in 2020.
 
"After witnessing Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's impeachment, I decided to attend,” said Kim Dong-hyun, 34, who participated in a rally against Yoon's impeachment earlier this month. “I feel guilty for not participating more often."
 
A protester breaks into the Seoul Western District Court following the issuance of an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Jan. 19. [NEWS1]

A protester breaks into the Seoul Western District Court following the issuance of an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Jan. 19. [NEWS1]


Online conservative communities and YouTube channels are key platforms for these men to connect and mobilize. The “People Power Party Minor Gallery” on online forum DC Inside regularly features accounts of participating in rallies by men in their 20s and 30s.  
 
“Everyone around me except me is leftist,” said a user who said he was a man in his 20s. “I had a harsh ‘reality check’ moment wondering why there wasn’t a single conservative, but it was exhilarating to protest with like-minded people.”  
 
Posts about rally participation often receive comments like, “You’re a patriot,” “Down with communism,” and “The leftists in their 40s and 50s ruined this country.”
 
The conservative YouTube channel Student’s Voice TV, which has 186,000 subscribers, livestreams videos of young people attending rallies. The channel's YouTube description says it is a “critic of feminism and political teachers” while “protecting students and gender peace through the free will of the individual.”  
 
One of the hosts of the channel, Choi In-ho — a 23-year-old PPP member of the Gwanak District council in southern Seoul — said that “I really hate that damn communistic feminism” in a video titled “You think gender equality is a good thing?” uploaded on June 30, 2019.
 
"We all want to live as the main character of our lives," said Choi. "Then why do you like gender equality that designates you a villain?"
 
YouTube channel Ground C, with 720,000 subscribers, featured comments about the storming of the Seoul Western District Court, such as, “It wasn’t the youth who broke the court; it was the court that broke the hearts of the youth.”  
 
Some PPP lawmakers and aides reportedly watch these videos. "Young people in their 20s and 30s are adept at editing videos in real-time and quickly picking up on issues, so their opinions cannot be ignored," said a PPP official. 
 
A Seoul Western District Court sign is seen trampled upon after supporters of President Yoon Suk Yeol stormed the court on Jan. 19. [NEWS1]

A Seoul Western District Court sign is seen trampled upon after supporters of President Yoon Suk Yeol stormed the court on Jan. 19. [NEWS1]

 
According to a survey by Realmeter conducted on Jan. 16 and 17, 52.7 percent of people in their 20s supported the extension of the current administration, as did 50.8 percent of people in their 30s.  
 
Among supporters of the current administration, men took up 50.4 percent, while women took up 46.9 percent.  
 
According to a survey by Flower Research, headed by liberal commentator Kim Ou-joon, the support for the PPP among men in their 20s and 30s was 29.5 and 18.7 percent, respectively, in the first week of December last year.  
 
However, following the impeachment developments, the third-week survey for January released on Jan. 20 showed the PPP's support rate among men in their 20s surged to 43.2 percent, compared to 24.6 percent for the DP. Among men in their 30s, the PPP earned 38.9 percent support versus the DP’s 35.2 percent.
 
“As the impeachment crisis caused President Yoon to falter and the balance of power shifted sharply toward the opposition, the threat that young men in their 20s and 30s felt exploded, fueled by anti-feminism and anti-China sentiments,” said Lee Jun-ho, CEO of polling agency STI.
 
The “KakaoTalk censorship” controversy also ignited anti-DP leader Lee Jae-myung sentiment among these young men. On Jan. 10, DP lawmaker Jeon Yong-gi said, “Even ordinary people who spread fake news using [messenger applications like] KakaoTalk will be sued for treason,” which sparked backlash.  
 
Online male-centric communities like FM Korea began using the term “KakaoTalk martial law” to criticize the remark. “The controversy over censorship and regulation directly hit the sensitivities of men in their 20s and 30s," said Cho Jin-man, a political science professor at Duksung Women’s University.
 
Supporters of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol break into the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo District on Jan. 19. [NEWS1]

Supporters of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol break into the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo District on Jan. 19. [NEWS1]

 
Opinions about men in their 20s and 30s who have taken to the streets are divided. "The collective backlash from young men in their 20s and 30s has significantly curbed the DP’s recklessness," said a senior PPP lawmaker.
 
“Extreme actions by some youth, as seen in the court-storming incident, reflect political regression and radicalization," said Lee Jun-han, a professor of political science and international relations at Incheon National University.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]
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