South Koreans holding signs reading "Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol" during a rally in Seoul on Dec 4, 2024. - AP
SEOUL: Angry South Koreans rallied against President Yoon Suk-yeol after his foiled attempt to put the country under martial law roiled a nation that’s deeply scarred by a long history of authoritarian crackdowns.
As of midmorning in Seoul, hundreds of angry Koreans - young and old - took to the streets, with many calling for Yoon’s ouster - by resigning, impeachment or even through arrest.
"Yoon should step down immediately,” said Park Sam-choon, a 76-year old. "Yoon looks like a five-year-old boy. He doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
For many, the chaotic scenes that erupted last night - including those of soldiers trying to charge into the National Assembly building - dredged up painful memories of Korea’s military rule decades ago before it transitioned to a full-fledged democracy. The fear of authoritarianism runs so deep in Korea that presidents are barred from serving more than a single five-year term.
Two middle-aged women said they were so terrified of seeing soldiers last night trying to enter the parliament building.
"I thought it was a war - seeing tanks on the road and lawmakers climbing over the barriers,” said Lee Hyang-min, a 68-year-old woman. "We don’t want him to make Korea an unhappy country anymore. He doesn’t have any interest in the people.”
For Jeong Won-sook, a 58-year-old woman living in the outskirts of Seoul, Yoon’s actions disgraced the country in the eyes of the world.
"Korea’s image has deteriorated significantly because of Yoon,” Jeong said.
"Foreign investors would not invest in Korea anymore. My friends living abroad are telling me they feel so embarrassed.” - Bloomberg
