Over 1 million expected to attend candlelight rally for impeachment vote
Park Chan-dae, center, floor leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea, and other lawmakers move to greet citizens attending the impeachment rally in front of the National Assembly on the morning of Saturday. Yonhap
By KTimes
The area in front of the National Assembly in Seoul was packed Friday night with citizens chanting for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment ahead of the second motion vote scheduled the next day.
Park Joo-young, 36, a participant, said, "I didn’t attend last Saturday’s rally, but seeing People Power Party lawmakers walk out without voting made me feel betrayed, so I came today. I hope the impeachment motion passes tomorrow."
Park said that after watching the president's address, he felt he could no longer live in a country led by someone like Yoon, prompting him to join the rally in the hope of seeing his impeachment.
The protests’ fervor extended beyond Yeouido to other parts of Seoul, including Yongsan, fueled by anger over Yoon’s recent address, which was seen as an attempt to deflect responsibility for the Dec. 3 martial law fiasco.
Participants hold light sticks and chant slogans during a candlelight rally near the National Assembly, Seoul, Friday, urging the passage of the impeachment motion. Yonhap
Organizers expect more than 1 million people to gather near the National Assembly on Saturday, although official estimates place the number at 200,000.
At the People Power Party headquarters, protesters staged symbolic acts, declaring the party "a dead political entity" for opposing impeachment. Civic groups and individuals affixed eviction notices to the building and criticized the party’s stance.
Protests also targeted ruling party lawmakers across Seoul, with banners questioning their roles, such as, "Will you go down in history as a traitor?"
Youth organizations and student groups also joined the protests, gathering near the presidential office in Yongsan. A coalition of 33 youth organizations and four civic groups issued a joint declaration calling for Yoon’s immediate resignation, accusing his administration of oppressing workers, women, and students.
The groups attempted to deliver a letter demanding Yoon’s resignation to the presidential office but were blocked by police. University campuses across the country also continued to issue political declarations, reflecting growing dissatisfaction among younger generations.
On Saturday, as the revote on the impeachment motion is scheduled for 4 p.m., Candlelight Action, which has been organizing daily rallies in Yeouido, will start a march at 1:30 p.m. near the National Assembly.
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions will host a gathering at Yeouido Park at 2 p.m., culminating in a main rally near National Assembly Station at 3 p.m.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.