South Korean protesters see impeachment hopes fade

As pulsating rave music blared from loudspeakers set up outside Seoul’s National Assembly, protesters cheered and waved multicolored light poles.

“Fire Yoon Suk Yeol! Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol!” they chanted

The atmosphere was festive, but the people were there for a serious cause: to get rid of the country’s president. Police estimate the crowd at around 100,000.

On Saturday morning, four days after Yoon’s failed attempt to declare martial law, the president appeared on television again. this time it was to say sorry to the nationjust hours before an impeachment vote.

But his mea culpa did little to appease the public. As lawmakers began heading to the national assembly, several protest demonstrations began across Seoul. While a few supported the embattled president, most called for him to resign or be impeached.

By 3pm, most of the protesters had gathered in front of the National Assembly. The main thoroughfare was full of people sitting in orderly rows, while police officers lined the street. Protest flags fluttered in the cold winter breeze, while on side streets vendors sold waffles and pies filled with red bean paste to hungry protesters.

With rock bands, big screens and crane cameras, South Korean protests often resemble outdoor music festivals, and this one was no different. Throughout the afternoon, the audience was entertained with upbeat acapella songs, sentimental folk songs and protest anthems.

The crowd sang “South Korea is a Democratic Republic” – a catchy nursery rhyme extolling the virtues of democracy; the stirring “A March Song for You”; and even the Korean version of “Do You Hear the People Sing” from the musical Les Miserables.

There were also fiery speeches. “We must remove the traitors! If the impeachment vote fails, all 1.5 million members of our union will run directly to the president’s office,” vowed one union leader.

“Traitors will be judged by the sharp blade of the people!”

“Impeachment! Impeachment!” the crowd chanted again.

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

When it came time to vote on the impeachment bill, the ruling People’s Power Party (PPP) announced a boycott, stymieing the opposition, which was just eight votes short of passing the bill.

Almost all PPP MPs rose from their seats and left the chamber, while opposition members shouted and tried to prevent them from leaving.

Watching these chaotic proceedings unfold on screens outside, many of the protesters were horrified.

“The freedom of democracy is collapsing because of one man. It’s killing me,” lamented an office worker who attended the protest.

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

He had left home at 5 in the morning and traveled for hours to Seoul, just to participate in the protest. “I’ve been waiting all day for this. I hope they vote again. I try to hold out hope but I don’t expect it to happen.”

Others were angrier. “I think Yoon is a total embarrassment to democracy in this country. And lawmakers should represent the people, not the president…we are very upset,” said one activist.

“We will not back down until he is impeached … we will march on until our democracy finally triumphs over this insanity by this crazy president.”

On stage, protest leaders called on the crowd to surround the National Assembly, hoping that by blocking the doors and trapping PPP lawmakers inside, they could buy the opposition enough time to persuade enough PPP members to vote for impeachment.

The crowd surged toward the doors. As protest leaders read out the names of all the PPP lawmakers, protesters chanted “Get back in, vote!” after each name.

Moods rose as PPP member Kim Sang-wook re-entered the chamber to vote, joining two others from his party who had stayed behind. Hope rippled through the crowd, as protesters clapped and chanted Kim’s name like a rock star.

The organizers blasted the K-pop and the crowd started dancing, singing and waving light poles. In the distance, some did a Mexican wave to a Girls Generation song. Suddenly, the protest turned into a joyful pop concert.

For a while, the mood remained high. The protesters believed that more of the ruling party would cross the ground before 1am.

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

Finally, around 9:00 p.m., the president said he would close the vote early. Immediately, the festive atmosphere evaporated. The impeachment bill needed just five more votes to move forward, but they were nowhere in sight, and time was running out.

The crowd was getting closer to the doors. “Come in, come in!” they pleaded and urged the PPP lawmakers to re-enter the chamber to vote.

At 9:20 p.m., the speaker closes the vote. The crowd fell silent as they watched parliamentary officials sift through the ballots. Some let out groans of disappointment, while a few shouted angrily at the screens. The usual chant of “impeach, impeach” floated through the air, but seemed to have lost its vigor.

After what seemed like an eternity, the speaker announced that the bill was not passed. It did not meet the quorum of 200 votes for the ballot. In the crowd, a woman screamed in pain and buried her face in her boyfriend’s chest, crying.

The leaders of the protest rushed to the stage, this time to rally the people’s 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,” a speaker vowed. “Dear people, will you join us in our fight to eliminate Yoon?”

The crowd roared back emphatically, “Yes!”

Meanwhile, inside the National Assembly, opposition leaders vowed to bring up the impeachment bill again and again until they got rid of Yoon. They have the public on their side: three-quarters of South Koreans want impeachment, according to the latest polls, while Yoon’s approval rating has fallen further to 13%.

In an attempt to end on a high note, the protest leaders played All I Want for Christmas as a send-off. “Don’t forget your belongings and please take your trash out,” they urged the scattered crowd, as Mariah Carey’s voice echoed through the quickly emptying avenue.

It won’t be long until the trail fills up again. Another round of protests has already been scheduled for Sunday.

Additional reporting by Jake Kwon.