On the day of the rally, rain was predicted for various regions, including Cheongju, and the Seoul City Hall Station, where the rally was held. To make matters worse, it was also cloudy as if it would rain at any moment. The space was crowded with people and many participants voluntarily distributed snacks and encouraged sponsorships, while campaigning under the slogan Dokdo is our land. Rather than solemn protests or struggles, the joyful sound of drums and trumpets could be heard between each speech. There was some congestion since a part of the road was closed, but it proceeded safely in the presence of the police, and the cooperation of the participants was also well coordinated. Booth operators were also seen sharing beverages with police who were sent to control the march.

  Followed by the opening from the rally’s host, Kim Ji-sun, the co-chairman of Seoul Candle Act, Kwon Oh-hyuk, co-chairman of the Candle Act, criticized the government, stating that it is eager to suppress the 70% of people who oppose Yoon Suk-yeol by martial law. This criticism is based on a poll released in early Sept., which showed a government approval rating of only 27%. They reiterated that if the government truly believes the public are the masters of politics, it should respect the overwhelming public sentiment and immediately execute impeachment.

  Colonel Park Jung-hoon’s lawyer, Kim Kyu-hyun, also took a tough stance. He strived to find the truth about the death of Marine Chae Su-geun, saying, “I don’t know how happy I was to see the results of the last general election. However, the Korean public sentiment toward finding the truth has repeatedly collapsed in front of the presidentʼs family-bulletproof right to reject the independent counsel bill. The president, who said the person who refused the independent counsel bill was the culprit, rejected the independent counsel bill not once but five times.” He also reported allegations of lobbying for CEO Lee Jong-ho of Black Pearl, who was a senior member of the Marine Corps, ready to cut off all human relationships. Angered about an investigation that wasn’t done properly he said, “I reported on suspicion of lobbying for the CEO of Black Pearl, who was a senior Marine Corps member, Lee. However, the Senior Civil Servant Corruption Investigations Unit was silent, I was accused by the power of the people and the Sambu Construction.” Lastly, he appealed for citizens to rally saying, “Marine Chae and Colonel Park are weak by themselves, but if we all become Marine Chaes and Colonel Park by the tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of people, we can become a volcano that wipes out this cruel regime.”

  Mr. Lee Hu-tae, an activist from Ulsan and the Ansan Candle Act, passionately chanted, “Impeach Yoon Suk-yeol!” during the march. He stated, “We, the candlelight protesters, will uphold the will of the heavens to establish a nation where the people, as rightful sovereigns, are in charge. We are determined to make this a true people’s nation.”

  Jo Seo-young, the head of the University Students’ Urging Yoon Seok-yeol Impeachment Prosecution Sit-In Protest Union also spoke up, “It has been four weeks and we still cannot bring tents into the protest site, so we are left barely keeping dry from the rain with umbrellas and plastic sheets. Whenever we try to bring in supplies needed for the protest, the police continue to block our way.” She has consistently rotated speaking duties, distributed leaflets around Seoul and college areas, and posted statements to spread their message. She also expressed gratitude to the citizens who visited the protest site to show support, joined online live sessions, and brought food. “The phrase ‘Keon-hee Kingdom Corruption Ringleader’ fits perfectly. Now, they are even willing to start an actual war just to escape their own political crisis—this regime is truly ruthless. I cannot live in this anxiety, I cannot live with this frustration, and I cannot live with this anger. We cannot leave a government like this to keep oppressing the people.”

  The University Students’ Sit-In Protest Union followed up with a song and dance performance of Like a Rock. Host Kim also stressed, “University exams are coming up soon. Students need to be allowed to take their midterms, right? We need people to help guard the protest site, so we ask for active participation from citizens.” In a symbolic act expressing the citizens’ anger, a banner was torn. Later, three representatives—Gu Min-ho from Gumi Candle Act, Lee Hae-sung from Cheongju Candle Act and Go Kyung-ha from Jeju Candle Act—read a declaration calling for the impeachment of the President. With the energetic Shining Youth performance, participants began the march, singing As We Wish, Oh! Victory Korea (Edited), and Becoming a Flame. The march started at Exit 7 of City Hall Station, moved through the Press Center, Cheonggyecheon southern road, Gwanggyo, Euljiro 1(il)-ga station, Myeongdong entrance, Namdaemun gate (Sungnyemun gate), and returned to City Hall Station, where the main rally was held. Parts of the road were blocked off for the march, which included a samulnori troupe and three trucks, capturing the attention of other citizens. Drawn by the sounds, some citizens stopped to watch or take photos, abandoning their original paths. The march proceeded under police guidance, with traffic lights left unchanged. Instead, the procession followed the signals, helping to prevent unnecessary traffic congestion.

  Amid the large crowds, people of various ages and genders shared their stories. 

  A woman in her 50s, anonymous Ms. A, who was handing out snacks and tteoks at her booth, said, “I have been participating in the candle rally since it first began. For the first two years, I joined as a volunteer, and since then, I have been running a booth as an organizer giving out some snacks and so on. Even though more and more people have been calling for impeachment for years, the places that should take action are not moving, which is why these rallies continue. I find this very unfortunate. At first, I didnot want to accept Yoon Suk-yeol’s victory after the last presidential election because I had supported a different candidate during the election. Since he was chosen by over 40% of the people, I decided to give him a chance. However, his policies have been hard to trust, and I am especially angered by the way he covers up all the corruptions and scandals involving Kim Keon-hee. I believe it is wrong for a president to claim fairness and common sense while overlooking everything just because it involves family,” sharing her opinions of the current political situation. As for attending the rally, she added, “As I live in Gyeonggi-do and with the heavy rain early this morning, I hesitated to come today. Even so, when I arrived I felt encouraged seeing so many people from all over the country. I hope this combined energy and these candlelights help us achieve our goals as soon as possible.”

  Another booth participant, a man in his 30s, Mr. B, has been joining the nationwide candle rally, every third week of the month for two years. He said, “At first, I hoped the president would fulfill his duties well, however, as time went on, I started getting angry at his actions.” He added, “Regarding relations with Japan, past presidents were always cautious, but President Yoon is not like that. The contaminated water from Fukushima is dangerous, yet he defends it. He even creates documents as if giving away Dokdo or supports joint military exercises with Japan and the U.S., making him seem more like Japan’s president than Korea’s.”

  Park Jae-hyun, a college student representative of the Democratic Party’s of Namdong-gu (District B) branch in Incheon, who attended the event, shared his experiences: “I started political activities in high school, but after President Yoon was elected, the changes in last year’s College Scholastic Ability Test reform directly impacted me. I felt angry about that and thought the overall policy direction of the current administration was far from progressive for Korean society. Since then, I have participated in candlelight marches around 20 times.”

  On a personal level, Park added, “While attending protests, I realized there are so many citizens who want to judge this administration and hope for its end.” As a voter, he emphasized, “I think the issue with First Lady Kim Kun-hee is the biggest. From the Yangpyeong highway scandal to her luxury Dior bag, and the Myeong Tae-gyun gate, these revealed evidences of government manipulation. I also feel that Yoon himself lacks the necessary qualities to lead.”

  He concluded the interview by saying, “On Nov. 2, the Democratic Party is set to hold a ‘Kim Kun-hee National Assembly Protest Rally’ in Seoul, marking the start of strong resistance against the Yoon administration. Also, since the ruling on Lee Jae-myung’s case is expected in November, this month could determine whether Lee is convicted or if the current administration loses public support and slips into a lame-duck status.”

  Lastly, a young member of the Korean University Progressive Union, Miss. C, encouraged participation from students and young people in their 20s, saying, “Even those who have not attended these rallies probably have a desire for justice and fairness in their hearts. We will always keep this plaza open, so I hope we can all meet here someday.”

By Ji Jae-lim | jlim0714@chungbuk.ac.kr

By Oh Chea-hyun | chaenny@chungbuk.ac.kr