Just several hours before the vote on a fresh motion to impeach Yoon, various areas in front of the Assembly and nearby locations were packed with people bundling up in padded coats and with hand warmers to brave the cold, waving light sticks and holding signs calling for Yoon's ouster.
As lawmakers began casting their votes, chants like "Impeach Yoon Suk Yeol" grew louder. Some, holding their breath, watched live broadcasts on their phones, while others stood with their eyes closed, praying as they awaited the result.
"Let it be known that the impeachment motion against Yoon has passed," declared Woo Won-shik, the National Assembly's speaker and five-term lawmaker from the main opposition Democratic Party.
Moments after his declaration, cheers erupted from the crowd, with some jumping and others applauding enthusiastically. Chants of "Democracy is still alive" and "Long live Korea" echoed through the crowd.
"I came out with my family, and it feels meaningful to know that we all worked together to protect the values of democracy," a housewife in her 50s told AJP on condition of anonymity.
One of the key features of their rallies is that K-pop songs have become their anthems, creating a lively atmosphere more like a concert than a violent protest.
Manufactured band Girls' Generation's "Into the New World" and other songs blared through loudspeakers as protesters waved brightly colored light sticks. Fans of 2NE1, Big Bang, BTS, g.o.d, IU, and NCT also united in chants calling for Yoon's impeachment.
Meanwhile, some tearful pro-Yoon supporters expressed their concerns and lamented over Yoon's impeachment in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul.
Elsewhere in the country, cheers rang out. Many protesters in Gangneung, Gangwon Province felt relieved after Yoon's impeachment, viewing it as a historic moment to safeguard democracy, despite the city being a stronghold of conservatives and Yoon's hometown.
Ki Se-nam, head of the Gangneung citizens' coalition, expressed relief. "We will continue calling for an investigation into those who colluded in the botched plan and hold them accountable."
The sense of celebration spread beyond territorial borders. In Berlin, around 400 people gathered at Brandenburg Gate, waving light sticks and singing. In London, around 300 South Koreans including expatriates and students gathered at a park near the South Korean Embassy to stage a 1-minute and 23-second silent protest against Yoon's declaration of martial law.
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