Emotional protesters see hopes of impeachment fading

Protestors cheered and waved multicolored light sticks as loud music blared from speakers outside Seoul’s National Assembly.

“Impeach Yoon Suk Yeol! Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol!” He chanted mantras.

The atmosphere was festive, but the crowd was there for a serious purpose – to get rid of the country’s president. Police estimated the crowd to be around 100,000 people.

On Saturday morning, four days after Yoon’s failed attempt to declare martial law, the President once again appeared on television. this time This was to apologize to the nationHours before the vote on impeachment.

But his Foreign Ministry did nothing to appease the public. As lawmakers began marching to the National Assembly, various protest rallies began in Seoul. While some were supportive of the embattled president, most were calling for him to step down or be impeached.

By 3 pm, most of the protesters had gathered in front of the National Assembly. The main road was packed with people sitting in neat rows as police officers stood guard on the road. Protest flags fluttered in the cold winter breeze, while vendors on side streets sold waffles and pastries filled with red-bean paste to hungry protesters.

With rock bands, big screens and crane cameras, South Korean protest rallies tend to look like outdoor concerts, and this was no different. Throughout the afternoon, the crowd was entertained with fun acapella tunes, sentimental folk songs and protest songs.

The crowd sang “South Korea is a Democratic Republic” – a catchy children’s song extolling the virtues of democracy; the inspirational “A March Song for You”; And even a Korean version of “Do You Hear the People Sing” from the musical Les Misérables.

There were also fiery speeches. One union leader pledged, “We must eliminate the traitors! If the impeachment vote fails, all 1.5 million members of our union will run straight for the President’s office.”

“Traitors will be judged by the sharp edge of the public!”

“Impeach! Impeach!” The crowd chanted back.

But as the winter light faded into the night, so did the protesters’ hopes.

When it came time to vote on the impeachment bill, the ruling People’s Power Party (PPP) announced a boycott, shocking the opposition, which lacked only eight votes to pass the bill.

Almost every PPP MLA got up from their seats and walked out of the chamber, as opposition members shouted and tried to stop them from leaving.

Watching these chaotic proceedings on screens outside, many protesters were stunned.

An office worker attending the protest lamented, “The freedoms of democracy are being eroded because of just one man. It’s killing me.”

“I think lawmakers are irresponsible,” one woman said.

She left her home at 5 a.m. and reached Seoul within hours to take part in the protest. “I’ve been waiting for it all day. I hope they go back and vote. I’m trying to stay optimistic but I don’t expect it to happen.”

Others were more angry. A male activist said, “I think this is a complete disrespect for democracy in this country. And lawmakers should represent the people, not the president… We are very upset.”

“We are not going to back down until he is impeached… We will keep going until our democracy finally triumphs over the madness perpetrated by this crazy president.”

On stage, protest leaders called on the crowd to surround the National Assembly, in the hope that by blocking the gates and trapping PPP MPs inside, they would convince the opposition to convince enough PPP members to vote for impeachment. Can give enough time.

The crowd advanced towards the gates. As protest leaders read out the names of each PPP MLA, protesters chanted “Go back, vote!” After each name.

The atmosphere improved when PPP member Kim Sang-woo re-entered the chamber to vote and joined two others from his party who had stayed there. A wave of anticipation ran through the crowd, as protesters cheered and chanted Kim’s name as if she were a rock star.

Organizers blasted K-pop and the crowd started dancing, singing and waving lightsticks. In the distance, some people played a Mexican wave to the Girls’ Generation song. Suddenly, the protest turned into a joyous pop concert.

The atmosphere remained enthusiastic for some time. The protesters believed that more people from the ruling party would cross the House by 1 am.

But there were bad signs. Kim told reporters that he had actually voted against impeachment. And for hours, no one from the PPP joined in.

Finally, at around 9 pm, the Speaker said he would close the voting early. The festive atmosphere faded immediately. The impeachment bill needed just five more votes to move forward, but they were nowhere in sight – and time was running out.

The crowd came closer to the gate. “Get in, get in!” He urged PPP MPs to re-enter the House to vote.

The speaker stopped voting at 9.20 pm. The crowd calmed down after seeing parliamentary officials examining the ballot papers. Some let out frustrated groans, while others shouted angrily at the screen. The usual slogan of “Impeach, impeach” was floating in the air, but it seemed to have lost its power.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Speaker announced that the bill did not pass. It failed to meet the quorum of 200 votes for counting. A woman in the crowd screamed in pain and started sobbing, burying her face in her lover’s chest.

This time the protest leaders reached the stage to encourage the people. One speaker pledged, “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 impeached.” “Dear People, will you join our fight to remove Yun?”

The crowd responded with a resounding: “Yes!”

Meanwhile, inside the National Assembly, opposition leaders vowed to repeatedly introduce impeachment bills until they get rid of Yoon. The public is on his side: According to the latest polls, three quarters of South Koreans want impeachment, while Yoon’s approval rating has fallen even further to just 13%.

In an effort to end on a high note, the protest leaders played All I Want for Christmas as a farewell. “Don’t forget your luggage, and please take your trash with you,” he urged the dispersing crowd, as Mariah Carey’s voice echoed across the rapidly emptying street.

It won’t be long before that road is filled again. Another round of protests has already been scheduled for Sunday.

Additional reporting by Jake Kwon.