The Road to Impeachment in Seoul

1. protestassembly.jpg

1. Protesters fill the streets in front of the National Assembly in Seoul the weekend after South Korean President Yoon Seok Yeol announced martial law in a move that shocked the Korean public. The crowd on December 7th was estimated between hundreds of thousands to a million protesters.

2. station.jpg2. Police control the flow of the crowd from the station. 30 minutes before the official start of the rally, the streets were already so full that the area in front of the main stage was inaccessible.

3. speaker.jpg

3. A notable aspect of Korean protests and political rallies is the infrastructure. These huge speaker trucks are posted all around the surrounding streets, broadcasting speeches, band performances, and music. 4. crowd.jpg4. A woman holds a sign that reads “IMPEACH” as police direct the swarm of protestors with lightsticks.

5. bus.jpg5. Police buses lined up end to end. As the protests increase in volume, so does the manpower required to control the crowd.

6. sitting .jpg

6. Protestors sit holding signs condemning the president in subzero temperatures. The National Assembly building is visible in the background.

 

7. media.jpg

7. A huddle of photographers and cameramen from major news networks film the crowd from under the main screen. Their footage is on screen when the feed switches to live news.

 

8. night.jpg

8. Citizens watch the live news broadcast from the Assembly Chambers with baited breath. Yoon’s party, the People Power Party, walk out of the chamber and abstain from voting, effectively barring the impeachment from proceeding.

 

9. lightstick final.jpg

9. A young woman holds a lightstick after the news that the impeachment proposition has not reached the 2/3 votes necessary to remove President Yoon. The very next week, organizers estimated 2 million protestors gathered outside the National Assembly where the legislative body moved forward with the impeachment proceeding.

Yoon’s removal from office will now be brought to Korea’s Supreme Court. 

 

Trix Willems is an American Sketcher based in Korea and an Admin of USK Seoul.

Author
Trix Willems
Share

Recent Posts

Amsterdam trip in May 2024

February 6, 2025

A very pleasant trip to see the tulips bloosom in May 2024....

Read More

Friendship

February 6, 2025

Friendship Este desenho foi feito em minha casa, em Luanda, numa tarde...

Read More

London Impressions

January 25, 2025

The urban landscape has always been my canvas and source of inspiration....

Read More

60º Meeting Urban Sketchers Portugal Norte

December 27, 2024

Hello, I’m Paulo Netto and I’m from Portugal. I’m a graphic designer...

Read More