Reuters
As rave music blared from speakers set up outside Seoul's National Assembly, protesters cheered and waved multi-colored light sticks.
“Impeachz Yoon Suk Yeol!” Stop Yoon Suk Yeol! they chanted.
The mood was celebratory, but the crowd was there for a serious cause: to get rid of the country's president. Police estimated the crowd at around 100,000 people.
On Saturday morning, four days after Yoon's failed attempt to declare martial law, the president appeared on television again. This time, it was about apologizing to the nation, just hours before the impeachment vote.
But his mea culpa failed to appease the public. As lawmakers began to head to the National Assembly, various protest rallies began in Seoul. While a few supported the embattled president, most called for his resignation or impeachment.
Around 3 p.m., most of the demonstrators had converged in front of the National Assembly. The main thoroughfare was filled with people sitting in neat rows, while police lined the street. Protest flags fluttered in the cold winter breeze, while on side streets, vendors sold waffles and pastries stuffed with red bean paste to hungry demonstrators.
With rock bands, giant screens and camera cranes, South Korean protest rallies tend to resemble outdoor music festivals, and this one was no different. Throughout the afternoon, the crowd was entertained by joyous acapella tunes, sentimental folk songs and protest anthems.
The crowd sang “South Korea is a Democratic Republic” – a catchy children’s song extolling the virtues of democracy; the moving “A March Song for You”; and even the Korean version of “Do You Hear the People Sing” from the musical Les Misérables.
There were also fiery speeches. “We must eliminate the traitors! If the impeachment vote fails, our union's 1.5 million members will run directly for president,” a union leader promised.
“Traitors will be judged by the sharp blade of the people!”
“Impeach!” Impeach! ” the crowd chanted back.
But as the winter light faded into the night, so did the demonstrators' hopes.
EPA
The atmosphere was festive, despite freezing temperatures
When voting on the impeachment bill, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) announced a boycott, thwarting the opposition which was just eight votes short of passing the bill.
Almost all PPP MPs got up from their seats and left the room, while opposition members shouted and tried to prevent them from leaving.
Watching these chaotic debates unfold on outdoor screens, many protesters were dismayed.
“Democratic freedom is collapsing because of one man. This is killing me,” lamented an office worker present at the demonstration.
“I think the lawmakers are irresponsible,” one woman said.
She left her home at 5 a.m. and traveled hours to Seoul just to participate in the protest. “I've been waiting for this all day. I hope they come back to vote. I'm trying to stay hopeful but I don't expect it to happen.”
Others were angrier. “I think Yoon is a total disgrace to democracy in this country. And the lawmakers, they should represent the people, not the president…we are very upset,” one activist said.
“We will not back down until he is impeached…we will continue until our democracy finally triumphs over this madness committed by this crazy president.”
Protesters came from all over South Korea to attend the rally.
On stage, protest leaders called on the crowd to surround the National Assembly, hoping that by blocking the gates and trapping PPP lawmakers inside, they could give the opposition enough leverage. time to persuade enough PPP members to vote in favor of impeachment.
The crowd rushed towards the doors. As protest leaders read out the names of all PPP lawmakers, demonstrators chanted “Go home, vote!” » after each name.
The mood improved when PPP member Kim Sang-wook returned to the room to vote, joining two other members of his party who had remained. Hope filled the crowd, as protesters clapped and chanted Kim's name as if he were a rock star.
Organizers blasted K-pop and the crowd began dancing, singing and waving glow sticks. In the distance, some gave a Mexican salute to a Girls Generation song. Suddenly, the demonstration turned into a joyful pop concert.
For a while, the mood remained exuberant. The demonstrators believed that more representatives of the ruling party would show up before 1 a.m.
But there were worrying signs. Kim told reporters that he actually voted against impeachment. And for hours, no one else from the PPP joined in.
Finally, around 9 p.m., the President announced that he would close the vote early. Immediately, the festive atmosphere evaporated. The impeachment bill needed just five more votes to pass, but they were nowhere in sight — and time was running out.
The crowd was approaching the doors. “Come in, come in!” they pleaded, urging PPP lawmakers to return to the chamber to vote.
Reuters
When the news broke that the indictment had failed, the huge crowd remained silent.
At 9:20 p.m., the speaker closes the vote. The crowd remained silent as they watched legislative officials sort the ballots. Some let out disappointed groans, while others shouted angrily at the screens. The usual chant of “impeach, impeach” hung in the air, but it seemed to have lost its vigor.
After what seemed like an eternity, the speaker announced that the bill had not passed. He did not reach the quorum of 200 votes for the count. In the crowd, a woman screamed in pain and buried her face in her boyfriend's chest, sobbing.
The leaders of the protest rushed onto the stage, this time to rally the spirits. “We will not stop until Yoon is punished. The people will not accept the existence of the PPP. We will fight to the end, until Yoon is removed from office,” one speaker promised. “Dear people, will you join us in our fight to eliminate Yoon?
The crowd responded emphatically: “Yes!”
Meanwhile, in the National Assembly, opposition leaders have promised to introduce the impeachment bill again and again until they get rid of Yoon. They have public opinion on their side: three-quarters of South Koreans want an impeachment, according to the latest polls, while Yoon's approval rating has fallen further to just 13%.
In an attempt to end on a high note, protest leaders played All I Want for Christmas as a farewell. “Don't forget your belongings and take your trash with you,” they urged the dispersing crowd, as Mariah Carey's voice echoed through the rapidly emptying avenue.
It won't be long before this road fills up again. A new series of demonstrations is already planned for Sunday.
Additional reporting by Jake Kwon.
