[Weekly File] "Yoon's Impeachment Must Be Upheld by Constitutional Court"... Gwangju and Jeonnam Protests Continue

Seven Rallies Held, 30,000 Gather
Light Sticks, K-pop, Prepayment Highlighted in MZ Culture
Rallies to Continue at Democracy Plaza on 28th and 31st

On the 14th, citizens attending the 6th Gwangju Citizens' General Rally held at the special stage in Geumnam-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju, are cheering while holding hand signs. Photo by Song Bohyun

During the month following President Yoon Suk-yeol's declaration of martial law on December 3, rallies calling for his impeachment continued throughout the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions.

Civil society in Gwangju has announced its intention to continue holding mass rallies until the Constitutional Court upholds the impeachment motion against President Yoon.

◇ Gwangju and Jeonnam Civil Society's Response After Martial Law

After President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law on the 3rd, rallies demanding his impeachment were held throughout Gwangju.

Immediately after the declaration, Gwangju and Jeonnam civic groups formed the Gwangju Emergency Action for the Resignation of the Yoon Suk-yeol Administration and held the Gwangju Citizens' Emergency Rally seven times.

As of the 8th, Gwangju Emergency Action, which initially consisted of 99 civic groups from Gwangju and Jeonnam, had grown to 175 groups by the 17th. The rallies, which started with around 500 participants, saw as many as 30,000 citizens gather for the sixth rally on the 14th, when the impeachment motion against President Yoon was voted on.

The religious community also joined the protests: the Gwangju Christian Council, Gwangju NCC, and the Gwangju Christian Organizations Association held prayer meetings; the Justice and Peace Committee of the Gwangju Catholic Archdiocese held a mass; and the Gwangju Buddhist Association and Buddhist lay organizations held Buddhist services in response to the current situation.

At these rallies, the MZ generation led a new culture of protest, singing adapted versions of popular songs and using light sticks instead of candles and traditional protest songs.

At the rally on the 14th, rapper Park Mingyu performed an a cappella rap about the political situation, and Jeong Hanna, who won the adapted song contest, performed a rewritten version of 2NE1's "I Am the Best."

Citizens also revived the spirit of May 18 by organizing a 'prepaid relay' at nearby cafes and restaurants, providing gimbap and coffee for rally participants.

◇ Rallies to Continue Until Constitutional Court Upholds Impeachment

The Gwangju Emergency Action for Immediate Resignation of the Yoon Suk-yeol Administration and Social Reform is holding a series of events demanding the impeachment of Yoon Suk-yeol and Han Duck-soo and the dissolution of the People Power Party.

The Gwangju community plans to continue holding mass rallies every weekend until the Constitutional Court upholds the impeachment motion.

Gwangju Emergency Action will hold the 8th Gwangju Citizens' Mass Rally at 5:00 p.m. on the 28th at the Gwangju May 18 Democracy Square. The slogan is "Immediate Arrest and Detention of Yoon Suk-yeol, Eliminate the Forces of Rebellion."

On the 30th at 7:00 p.m., a special lecture by Professor Kim Nuri of Chung-Ang University will be held at Lecture Hall 3 of the Humanities Building at Chonnam National University, under the theme "Imagine a New Era, the Seventh Republic."

On the last day of the year, at 10:00 p.m. on the 31st, a year-end rally will be held at Gwangju Dong-gu May 18 Democracy Square. The slogan for the rally is "Send Yoon Suk-yeol to Prison, Welcome the Seventh Republic."