"MZ Waves Support Lightsticks for 'Impeachment Challenge' Saying 'Yoon Must Disappear for Merry Christmas'"

A New Protest Culture Emerges
Replacing Old Struggle Songs with 'Carols and K-pop'
Experts Say "Festivalization of Protests"

Amid ongoing rallies calling for the resignation of President Yoon Seok-yeol following the '12·3 Emergency Martial Law' incident, a new protest culture is emerging among the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z), featuring short-form videos, idol light sticks, and self-made flags.

At the rally calling for President Yoon Seok-yeol's resignation held in front of the National Assembly in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) are waving idol light sticks. Photo by Yeom Da-yeon

On the 10th, searching for terms like 'Yoon Seok-yeol impeachment challenge' on social networking services (SNS) reveals a variety of videos shared mainly among the 10s and 20s age groups. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, shared a video on his SNS on the 9th showing three women dancing to a parody of the carol 'Feliz Navidad' with lyrics changed to 'Impeachment is the answer.' The video included hashtags such as '#ImpeachmentChallenge' and '#YoonSeokyeolImpeachment.'

The carol from the video is also echoing at rallies held in front of the National Assembly building. All participants sang along to the rewritten lyrics like "President Yoon Seok-yeol must disappear for a Merry Christmas" and "Mrs. Kim Geon-hee must be punished for a Merry Christmas." Instead of old-fashioned protest songs, idol music is playing on-site, creating a concert-like atmosphere. Kim Min-ji (24) said, "It was very cold sitting outside for a long time, but tens of thousands gathered, singing and creating a festival-like atmosphere that gives us strength," adding, "I feel like I have to come out every week now, and I hope we can continue together peacefully until impeachment is achieved."

MZ generation participants came to the rallies carrying idol light sticks, LED headbands, and neon signs on phones and iPads. Office worker Heo (28) said, "Whether it's candlelight or anything else, I wanted to add my voice, so I brought a light stick I had at home," and added, "Like a light stick that never goes out, I will wave it hard until Yoon Seok-yeol is impeached."

University student Lee (22) also said, "Since it was my first time attending a rally, I was worried about what to prepare, but I remembered when Saenuri Party lawmaker Kim Jin-tae said in 2016 that candlelight goes out when the wind blows, so I brought the light stick of my favorite singer," adding, "Waving them together looks colorful and nice, and since solidarity is well established, our voices can be delivered louder."

At a rally calling for the resignation of President Yoon Seok-yeol held in Pohang City, Gyeongnam, the flag of the 'National Support Light Stick Solidarity' is fluttering. Photo provided by a reader

Self-made flags such as 'Minju Myochong' and 'National Eoljuko Association' have appeared instead of party or labor union flags. These are creative works reflecting individual personalities rather than actual organization names. Kim (25) brought a 'National Light Stick Solidarity' flag to a rally held in Changwon, Gyeongnam, on the 7th. Kim explained, "I made it myself because I wanted more people like me to gather and share the feeling that we are not alone," adding, "I attached two A3 sheets of paper together and fixed them to a camera tripod to make the flag."

Experts have positively evaluated the MZ generation's way of participating in rallies. Seol Dong-hoon, a sociology professor at Jeonbuk National University, said, "In the past, young generations sometimes engaged in violent protests, but nowadays, they shout slogans and enjoy the culture they like, turning rallies into a kind of festival," analyzing, "This represents a social change where they deliver their voices without easily getting exhausted."

Gu Jeong-woo, a sociology professor at Sungkyunkwan University, said, "Compared to older generations, the MZ generation inevitably falls short in social status and collective influence. To overcome this limitation, they promote solidarity and cohesion through flags and other means," adding, "If protests were always held in a solemn atmosphere, they could not be sustained for a long time. If participants can feel joy and the atmosphere becomes festive, the rallies can be long-lasting."