'Battle of SNU' pits Yoon supporters and opponents in heated campus clashes

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'Battle of SNU' pits Yoon supporters and opponents in heated campus clashes

Published: 18 Feb. 2025, 17:08 Updated: 18 Feb. 2025, 18:56

KIM MIN-YOUNG
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A protester in support of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment, left, holds up a picture of democracy activist Park Jong-chul during a rally at Seoul National University in Gwanak District, southern Seoul, on Feb. 15. Park, an SNU alumni, was tortured to death in January 1987 while protesting the Chun Doo Hwan regime. [YONHAP]

Seoul National University (SNU) has taken center stage in the clash between supporters and opponents of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment, with back-to-back student rallies on campus Monday occasionally devolving into skirmishes and spittle-flecked exchanges.

When SNU students supporting Yoon announced a public declaration against impeachment at 11:30 a.m. Monday, the opposing side responded by scheduling their rally an hour earlier at the university campus in Gwanak District, southern Seoul.

This was the second time in three days that opposing rallies were held at Yoon’s alma mater, following a physical confrontation on Saturday between members of the conservative Christian student group Truth Forum and students supporting the impeachment.

The student group, which operates under the slogan “The truth will set you free," is known for producing late President Syngman Rhee’s biopic “The Birth of Korea,” released last year. Their controversial opinions on the French Revolution have been labeled reactionary by some.

The pro-impeachment students gathered around 10 a.m. on Monday, chanting slogans such as “Resign immediately, Yoon Suk Yeol, the leader of the insurrection” and “Protect democracy.”

“A historic event dubbed the ‘Great Battle of Seoul National University’ took place last Saturday,” said Lee Si-heon, an undergraduate student in the College of Liberal Studies at Seoul National University. “We cannot allow forces supporting a military coup to roam freely on a university campus, which is home to the spirits of democratic martyrs.”

Protesters against President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment hold a rally at Seoul National University in Gwanak District, southern Seoul, on Feb. 17. [YONHAP]

Protesters against the impeachment, on the other hand, defended Yoon's martial law declaration of Dec. 3.

“Martial law was necessary to prevent a legislative dictatorship and abuse of power by the massive opposition party,” said Kim Min-Seop, a student in the Department of Education.

The liberal Democratic Party (DP) currently has 170 seats in the National Assembly, compared to the 108 seats of the conservative People Power Party (PPP).

Other students who spoke at the rally claimed that four of the Constitutional Court justices are leftists and that they “represent the interests of a particular faction.” Approximately 600 students and alums reportedly participated in the anti-impeachment petition organized by this group.

Physical altercations broke out at several locations during the rallies. Although police and university staff set up restricted zones with tape to create safe areas, participants from both sides crossed the barriers, leading to spats.

Some participants grabbed each other by the collar or spat on each other as they faced off, shouting slogans like “Commies specialize in violence” and “Far-right forces, get out.” As of 1:30 p.m., about 300 people had gathered, according to an unofficial police estimate.

Protesters in support of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment hold a rally at Seoul National University in Gwanak District, southern Seoul, on Feb. 17. [NEWS1]

Both sides viewed SNU as a symbolic battleground representing universities due to the university being regarded as the most prestigious in the country. The campus was also a hotbed for student protests and direct action during the democratization movements under consecutive dictatorships throughout the late 20th century.

During the anti-impeachment rally, a YouTuber holding a South Korean flag and broadcasting live warned, “If Seoul National University falls, other universities will waver.”

He added, “Commies will take over the country.”

An alumnus from the class of 2001 brought copies of the book “Stop The Steal: The Supreme Court's History of Election Fraud Cover-Ups,” published last month, and handed them out to rally participants. The book raises allegations of election fraud in the April 15, 2020, general election.

“This conflict could spread from Seoul National University to other universities across the country,” said Kim Nam-su, a member of the Korea University Democratic Alumni Association, who attended the pro-impeachment rally. “I am here because it is distressing to see political and gender conflicts being fueled among people in their 20s and 30s.”

Police and university staff members stand between protesters in favor and against President Yoon's impeachment at Seoul National University in Gwanak District, southern Seoul, on Feb. 17. [SEO JI-WON]

Data from the Seoul Metropolitan Government indicated that on Saturday, when Yoon was arrested on charges of being the leader of an insurrection, 22 percent of the participants at a rally in front of the presidential residence in Yongsan District, central Seoul, were men in their 20s and 30s, compared to 6.6 percent who were women of the same age.

Conversely, on Dec. 14 last year, when the National Assembly passed the impeachment motion against Yoon, 27.1 percent of the participants at a rally near the National Assembly were women in their 20s and 30s. Only 9.9 percent were men of the same age cohort.

Some students expressed concerns about Seoul National University repeatedly becoming the site of rallies.

“It feels like an extreme battleground, not a place for healthy debate,” said Lee Seong-jun, a second-year student. “I feel sorry for the first-year students who are getting this as their first impression.”

During the rallies, participants used vuvuzelas, gongs, and sirens to create noise and disrupt the opposing group’s rally.

“Both sides were engaged in a volume battle, and I had to leave the library because I could not study,” said an SNU senior who chose to stay anonymous.

The Seoul National University Student Council notified students to report any cases of violence, threats or damage to school facilities related to recent rallies, providing a link to an online complaint platform.

“We coordinated with the police in advance and deployed about 40 staff members as safety personnel,” said a university official.

BY SEO JI-WON, KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]