Even Candlelight Vigils Need Energy... 'Prepaid Meal Map' Released for Seoul, Busan, Daegu, and Gwangju

Citizens Take to the Streets After 12·3 Emergency Martial Law Incident
Culture of Prepayment Near Rally Sites Spreads
Sites Informing Prepaid Stores and Restroom Information Also Emerge

Following the 12·3 emergency martial law incident, a culture of prepayment at restaurants or cafes near protest sites has spread among citizens who took to the streets. In this context, a website guiding the locations of prepayment stores has emerged. On the 13th, the website 'Protests Also Eat' displayed information about prepayment stores near protest sites across the country, including Seoul, Gwangju, Daegu, and Busan, on a map.

On the afternoon of the 12th, citizens attending the candlelight march urging the impeachment of President Yoon Seok-yeol near the National Assembly in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, are waiting for free drinks at a coffee truck. Photo by Yonhap News

The site allows users to check in real-time the quantity and items available for prepayment at each store, order availability, and business hours. The variety ranges from coffee and tea to rice cakes, gimbap, and hamburgers. The operator is known to be an individual who wants to help protest participants. Through social media (SNS), he stated, "I couldn't participate in the protests due to health issues, so I wanted to do something I could."

A website that shows prepaid stores near protest locations. ProtestEat and capture.

He also added, "Currently, there are no plans to receive sponsorships or advertisements. I hope the site will be useful not only for finding prepayment stores but also for helping those who want to prepay decide which stores to support. Please prepay at various stores to address congestion issues at specific stores and ensure that all prepayments are efficiently used."

A website providing restroom information near Yeouido. Screenshot of Yeouido Restrooms.

Earlier, a website called 'Yeouido Toilet Map' was created to provide restroom information to participants of protests in front of the National Assembly. On the 7th, the number of protest participants gathered near Yeouido in Seoul was estimated by organizers to be as high as one million, causing a surge in restroom demand. The website, an interactive map marking public and private restrooms near the National Assembly building, was reportedly created and distributed by a citizen.

The map not only indicates the locations of restrooms inside Yeouido buildings but also enhances convenience by using colors and text to show whether the restrooms are public and accessible to anyone or private but open to third parties as 'open restrooms.'

On the 12th, the six opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea, filed a second impeachment motion against President Yoon. After the motion was discarded on the 7th due to a lack of quorum in the National Assembly plenary session, they reintroduced it. The motion will be reported in the plenary session on the same day and voted on at 5 p.m. on the 14th.

Passing the impeachment motion requires two-thirds of the total members, which is 200 votes. The opposition holds 192 seats, so at least eight defections from the ruling party are needed. Currently, seven members of the People Power Party have publicly expressed support for the impeachment motion: Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim Ye-ji, Kim Sang-wook, Cho Kyung-tae, Kim Jae-seop, Jin Jong-oh, and Han Ji-ah.