How ‘candlelight revolution' has changed Korean politics forever
By Jung Min-ho
When news revealed that President Park Geun-hye and her confidant had rattled the very foundation of the nation's democracy with an influence-peddling scandal in late October, few politicians dared to mention the word, "impeachment," for fear of a backlash.
In protest, around 20,000 people took to the streets near Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul with lit candles, Oct. 29. Even then, few people thought that the number would increase to more than 2.3 million in just six weeks in streets across the country.
The "candlelight revolution," which led the National Assembly to impeach the President, Friday, shows the Constitutional clause, "All state authority shall emanate from the people," has more than just a literal meaning, said Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University.
"It would have been impossible without the power of candlelight. Lawmakers were probably under enormous pressure to follow the obvious opinion of their voters," he said.
Instead of depending on politicians to determine their fate, voters voiced their opinion with candles and placards. Some politicians initially disregarded the move and its power. Rep. Kim Jin-tae of the governing Saenuri Party famously said that the "candles will be blown out when winds blow," but they have not.
Instead, the candlelight has guided politicians in the direction people want in an unprecedented manner. It was an affirmation of the Constitution and this will continue to matter whoever becomes the next leader.
On Nov. 4, when President Park gave her second apology, many lawmakers seemed divided over how to respond as she almost shed tears while explaining the background of her longtime friendship with Choi Soon-sil, the central figure of the scandal, and said she would accept the prosecution's investigation.
But that failed in changing people's minds. Some 300,000 people took to the streets the following Saturday and 1 million did the next week, pushing lawmakers to continue to fight against the President's defiance.
The protests only grew, with the number of participants reaching 1.9 million on Nov. 26. It was clear that people were not shaken.
In her third apology, Nov. 29, the President said she was willing to step down but only if members of the National Assembly agreed on how and when exactly, in an apparent tactic to avoid the planned vote on the impeachment motion, Dec. 2. Many lawmakers, who had hesitated whether to push ahead with the vote, appeared to be affected, and the date was delayed to Dec. 9.
People responded with the largest-ever rally in the country's modern history, Dec. 3, demanding her immediate resignation or impeachment. More than 2.3 million protesters who took to the streets despite the cold weather apparently made right-wing lawmakers fear for their political future, and some started supporting impeachment openly.
"The candlelit protests united lawmakers at a time when they were shaken by infighting," Lee Jin-gon, a political science professor at Kyung Hee University, said. "The result is that the motion was endorsed by a wider margin than many had expected."
The peaceful rallies over the past six weeks have surprised everyone, including the protesters themselves. They have learned how much united candles can bring about change and that politics is not a game for an inbred elite any more. They will remember this, and if they feel their politicians again seem out of touch, they are not going to wait until the next election as they did before the "candlelit revolution."
By Jung Min-ho
When news revealed that President Park Geun-hye and her confidant had rattled the very foundation of the nation's democracy with an influence-peddling scandal in late October, few politicians dared to mention the word, "impeachment," for fear of a backlash.
In protest, around 20,000 people took to the streets near Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul with lit candles, Oct. 29. Even then, few people thought that the number would increase to more than 2.3 million in just six weeks in streets across the country.
The "candlelight revolution," which led the National Assembly to impeach the President, Friday, shows the Constitutional clause, "All state authority shall emanate from the people," has more than just a literal meaning, said Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University.
"It would have been impossible without the power of candlelight. Lawmakers were probably under enormous pressure to follow the obvious opinion of their voters," he said.
Instead of depending on politicians to determine their fate, voters voiced their opinion with candles and placards. Some politicians initially disregarded the move and its power. Rep. Kim Jin-tae of the governing Saenuri Party famously said that the "candles will be blown out when winds blow," but they have not.
Instead, the candlelight has guided politicians in the direction people want in an unprecedented manner. It was an affirmation of the Constitution and this will continue to matter whoever becomes the next leader.
On Nov. 4, when President Park gave her second apology, many lawmakers seemed divided over how to respond as she almost shed tears while explaining the background of her longtime friendship with Choi Soon-sil, the central figure of the scandal, and said she would accept the prosecution's investigation.
But that failed in changing people's minds. Some 300,000 people took to the streets the following Saturday and 1 million did the next week, pushing lawmakers to continue to fight against the President's defiance.
The protests only grew, with the number of participants reaching 1.9 million on Nov. 26. It was clear that people were not shaken.
In her third apology, Nov. 29, the President said she was willing to step down but only if members of the National Assembly agreed on how and when exactly, in an apparent tactic to avoid the planned vote on the impeachment motion, Dec. 2. Many lawmakers, who had hesitated whether to push ahead with the vote, appeared to be affected, and the date was delayed to Dec. 9.
People responded with the largest-ever rally in the country's modern history, Dec. 3, demanding her immediate resignation or impeachment. More than 2.3 million protesters who took to the streets despite the cold weather apparently made right-wing lawmakers fear for their political future, and some started supporting impeachment openly.
"The candlelit protests united lawmakers at a time when they were shaken by infighting," Lee Jin-gon, a political science professor at Kyung Hee University, said. "The result is that the motion was endorsed by a wider margin than many had expected."
The peaceful rallies over the past six weeks have surprised everyone, including the protesters themselves. They have learned how much united candles can bring about change and that politics is not a game for an inbred elite any more. They will remember this, and if they feel their politicians again seem out of touch, they are not going to wait until the next election as they did before the "candlelit revolution."
