"Embracing the Spirit of the Land of Revolution... Hoping History Does Not Repeat"
Amid nationwide rallies centered around the National Assembly building in Yeouido, Seoul, calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Seok-yeol following the declaration of martial law, a story has emerged that has captured public attention: a woman who identified herself as the daughter of a martial law soldier prepaid 1,000 cups of coffee for those participating in the rallies despite the cold weather.
Participants are shouting slogans at a rally urging impeachment held on the 14th in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, ahead of the second impeachment vote against President Yoon Seok-yeol. Photo by Heo Young-han
On the 12th, a cafe near the National Assembly building in Yeouido, Seoul, shared on its official social media channels, "Not only did the footsteps of the candlelight protestors across from the National Assembly come by, but there were also many grateful people who supported us through prepaid orders," and introduced the story of Ms. Geurida (a pseudonym), saying, "During this time, we received an inquiry about prepaid support from an overseas Korean. Through a phone call, we learned the reason for the support and how there is great interest in real-time judgment of the Korean government even from abroad."
Ms. Geurida, a woman in her 30s working as a curator in France, posted on her SNS the day before a message titled "The World Reunited by Morning Dew: A Confession of a Martial Law Soldier’s Daughter and 1,000 Cups of Coffee."
She revealed that her mother was an intelligence soldier deployed to Gwangju in May 1980, saying, "My mother had many dreams and was good at studying, but my maternal grandfather blocked her path, saying, 'What university for a woman?'" She confessed, "The only path she could choose was the military, which fed her, sheltered her, and recognized her abilities."
Ms. Geurida explained, "One day during that confusing time when discrimination, oppression, dreams, and freedom were strangely entangled, my mother was ordered to go to Gwangju to eliminate the communists gathered there. Although my mother, who was an intelligence soldier, did not go out on the streets, the constant shouts and gunfire, the piercing screams and wails, and the broken bodies and faces of innocent people being dragged away weighed down on her like hell."
She continued, "This summer, during the vacation, I visited my mother’s home in Korea with my two children. After putting my grandchildren to sleep, my mother and I brought up very old stories, going back to her maiden days. The stories of her military days came out cautiously. I vaguely knew she was a female soldier, but the story she told me about Gwangju still made her wrinkled knuckles freeze."
She added, "On the return flight, watching 'A Taxi Driver' and 'Spring in Seoul' was no longer just a distant and complicated piece of modern Korean history. It was a story that touched my skin, my family’s story. I couldn’t stop crying for 14 hours." She asked, "Why did my mother always cry whenever the song 'Morning Dew' played? Was it because of the guilt of fleeing Gwangju, the remorse for not being by their side in the midst of history, or the loneliness of standing on the opposite side of the truth?"
Finally, Ms. Geurida expressed her heartfelt wish: "Wherever I am, I want to create a better era for my country. I want to pass on a better world and planet to my children and future generations. I hope the new world of freedom and equality will be more brilliant and warmer than before. I hope the same history will not repeat itself. I hope selfish people chasing only immediate gains will not win. I hope no one will be lonely or isolated anymore." She said, "From the land of revolution, France, I send the energy with a thousand cups of coffee. I am so proud to be Korean. In front of the Eiffel Tower, which shines with thousands of lights even in France, I will sing 'The World Reunited' and lend my heart. I send warm coffee with feelings of regret for not being in Yeouido and therefore even more gratitude."
As Ms. Geurida’s story gained attention online, she said, "I only wanted to help a little, but I receive a great gift from countless comments. I will spend my life apologizing and repaying the karmic debt related to my mother’s unintended involvement on the opposite side of history in Gwangju."
Former leader of the Innovation Party, Jo Guk, made an advance payment at a cafe in Yeouido on the 14th for participants of the rally calling for the impeachment of Yoon Seok-yeol. Photo captured from Jo Guk's Facebook.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly will hold a plenary session at 4 p.m. on the 14th to vote on the second impeachment motion against President Yoon. This impeachment motion, proposed on the 12th by six opposition parties including the Democratic Party, the Party for National Innovation, the Reform Party, the Progressive Party, the Basic Income Party, and the Social Democratic Party, focuses on President Yoon’s declaration of martial law and charges of rebellion, unlike the first impeachment motion.
Citizens also took to the streets to call for impeachment. Besides Ms. Geurida, singer and actress IU and Yuri from the girl group Girls’ Generation prepaid at stores near the National Assembly for fans attending the rallies. In addition to celebrities, former Party for National Innovation leader Cho Kuk and many ordinary citizens prepaid at stores near the National Assembly and distributed goods for free at National Assembly Station and other locations, generating a wave of heartwarming stories.
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