South Korea protesters watch impeachment hopes fade

Reuters

As pulsating rave music boomed out of speakers set up outside Seoul's National Assembly, the protesters cheered and waved multicoloured light sticks.

"Impeach Yoon Suk Yeol! Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol!" they chanted.

The mood was festive, but the crowd was there for a serious cause – to get rid of the country's president.

On Saturday morning, four days after Yoon's abortive attempt to declare martial law, the president once again appeared on television. This time it was to say sorry to the nation, just hours before an impeachment vote.

But his mea culpa did little to appease the public. As lawmakers began making their way to the national assembly, various protest rallies started up across Seoul. While a few were in support of the embattled president, most were calling on him to step down or to be impeached.

By 3pm, most of the protesters had converged in front of the National Assembly. The main thoroughfare was packed with people sitting in neat rows, as police officers lined the street.

Protest flags fluttered in the cold winter breeze, while in the side streets vendors sold waffles and pastries stuffed with red-bean paste to hungry protesters.

It was a diverse crowd made up of young students, office workers and retirees. Police estimated around 100,000 people showed up.

With rock bands, large screens and crane cameras, South Korean protest rallies tend to resemble outdoor music festivals, and this one was no different. Throughout the afternoon, the crowd was entertained by jolly acapella tunes, sentimental folk songs, and protest anthems.

The crowd sang along to South Korea is a Democratic Republic – a catchy children's song 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 wipe out the traitors! If the impeachment vote fails, all 1.5 million members of our union will run straight to the presidential office," vowed one union leader.

"The traitors will be judged by the sharpened blade of the people!"

"Impeach! Impeach!" the crowd chanted back.

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

EPA

When it was time to vote on the impeachment bill, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) announced a boycott, stymying the opposition which lacked just eight votes to pass the bill.

Almost every PPP lawmaker got up from their seats and left the chamber, as members of the opposition shouted and tried to prevent them from leaving.

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

"The freedom of democracy is crumbling because of just one man. It's killing me," lamented office worker Choi Eun-chong.

"I think the lawmakers are irresponsible," said freelance writer Park Ga-ram.

She had left her home in the southern city of Daegu at 5am and travelled for hours to Seoul, just to take part in the protest. "I was waiting all day for this. I hope they go back and vote. I'm trying to stay hopeful but I don't expect it to happen."

Others were angrier. "I think Yoon's a total disgrace for democracy in this country. And the lawmakers, they should represent the people, not the president… we're very upset," said activist Luke Kim.

"We are not going to back down until he is impeached… we will march on until our democracy finally triumphs over this madness done by this crazy president."

BBC / Tessa Wong

Onstage, the protest leaders called on the crowd to surround the National Assembly. They hoped that by blocking the gates and trapping PPP lawmakers inside, they could buy the opposition enough time to persuade enough PPP members to vote for impeachment.

The crowd surged forward to the gates. As protest leaders read out the names of every PPP lawmaker, protesters chanted "Go back in, vote!" after each name.

The mood lifted when PPP member Kim Sang-wook re-entered the chamber to vote, joining two others from his party who had stayed on. Hope rippled through the crowd, as protesters cheered and chanted Kim's name like he was a rock star.

Organisers blasted K-pop, and the crowd started dancing, singing and waving light sticks. Some did a Mexican wave to a Girls Generation song. Suddenly, the protest transformed into a joyful pop concert.

For a while, the mood remained ebullient. Protesters believed more from the ruling party would cross the floor by the deadline of 1am.

But there were ominous signs. Kim told reporters that he had in fact voted against impeachment. And for hours, nobody else from the PPP joined.

Finally, at about 9pm, the Speaker said he would close the vote early. Immediately, the festive mood evaporated. The impeachment bill needed just five more votes to proceed, but they were nowhere in sight - and time was running out.

The crowd pressed closer to the gates. "Go in, go in!" they pleaded, urging PPP lawmakers to re-enter the chamber to vote.

Reuters

At 9.20pm, the speaker closed the vote. The crowd went silent as they watched parliamentary officials sift through the ballots.

Some let out disappointed groans, while a few screamed angrily at the screens. The usual chant of "impeach, impeach" floated through the air, but it seemed to have lost its vigour.

The speaker announced the bill could not pass. It did not meet the quorum of 200 votes for counting. In the crowd, a woman let out a pained cry and buried her face in her partner's chest, sobbing.

The protest leaders rushed to the stage, this time to rally people's spirits.

"We will not stop until Yoon is punished. The people will not accept the existence of PPP. We will fight till the end, till Yoon is impeached," vowed one speaker. "Dear people, will you join us in our fight to remove Yoon?"

The crowd roared back emphatically: "Yes!"

Meanwhile, inside the National Assembly, opposition leaders vowed to table 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 an impeachment, according to the latest polls, while Yoon's approval rating has slid even further to just 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 rubbish with you," they urged the dispersing crowd, as Mariah Carey's voice echoed down the rapidly emptying avenue.

It won't be long till that road will fill up again. Another round of protests has already been scheduled for Sunday.

Additional reporting by Jake Kwon.