Chimes of freedom ring as protest turns into party on impeachment passage

Citizen protesters celebrate after hearing that parliament voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol outside the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Dec. 14. The signs reads ′′Punish the rebellion leader Yoon Suk Yeol.′′ [AP/YONHAP] A deafening roar of cheers sent tremors through the pavement in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Saturday as the motion to impeach South Korea’s 13th President, Yoon Suk Yeol, passed in parliament. The decision comes 10 days after his botched attempt to declare martial law and seven days after the first impeachment motion, which fell through when Yoon’s conservative party members boycotted the vote. Related ArticleLIVE: National Assembly votes to impeach Yoon Suk YeolMassive rally planned in Seoul ahead of Yoon's impeachment vote “I love you just the way you are / The end of my wanderings / Repeated in this world / Goodbye sadness,” the crowd sang victoriously along to the 2007 hit song “Into the New World” by Girls’ Generation. Lightsticks danced fiercely as if the protest-turned-party was a K-pop concert. Bubbles filled the evening sky. Protesters who were deeply moved by the results started tearing up. “I feel over the moon to have witnessed democracy's win!” said Moon Hee-jin, a 26-year-old. Protesters outside the National Assembly in western Seoul on Saturday [CHO YONG-JUN] The triumphant day started with an air of nervous excitement that filled the grounds around the National Assembly on Saturday morning, just five hours before parliament’s second attempt to impeach President Yoon. The streets were already busy with protest trucks, tents, media and security personnel. Kim Yun-jin, a 37-year-old office worker, drove all the way to the National Assembly in western Seoul from her home in Jeonju to protest on Dec. 14. [SHIN MIN-HEE] Last week, rally-goers arrived to protest with a sense of disbelief. Many on Saturday morning felt that this time, they had a stronger grip on reality — and it was dire. Kim Yun-jin, a 37-year-old office worker from Jeonju, North Jeolla, expressed a feeling of betrayal by the nation's leaders. “Democracy is dead,” Kim said. “How can they not impeach Yoon even after soldiers pointed guns at civilians? At least last time, when [former President] Park Geun-hye was impeached, it wasn’t because she imposed martial law on us. It seems that Yoon doesn’t care about the people of our nation at all.” The National Assembly in western Seoul fills with protesters on the morning of Dec. 14. [SHIN MIN-HEE] As noon approached, protesters began to sit in single file in front of the National Assembly, in rows that stretched as far as one kilometer, or over half a mile, and kept growing. They were collectively carrying a bunch of items in preparation for a rally that will last well into the evening: lightsticks, sitting mats, blankets and placards demanding the impeachment of Yoon. Kim Ji-soo, 20, was sitting near the front of one line in her wheelchair. Explaining that public transit would be too hectic for her, she said she drove herself from Gimpo for the protest despite her discomfort behind the wheel. “I’ve been very emotional the past several days,” she said. “Every day since the declaration has been a total shock, and I’ve just been sitting at home, sighing and feeling helpless. But seeing the people [on television] rallying, it touched me.” Kim wasn’t the only protester who went to the trouble of showing up in the cold. Jeong So-yeon, 24, came to the rally from Anyang, Gyeonggi, amid her university’s final exams. She brought her textbooks with her so that she could study in between protesting. “I didn’t participate in rallies last week but came here today because I’ve just been in disbelief over the news that has come out over the last week,” she said. “I wanted to be of small help and put pressure on our government to listen to us.” Protesters outside the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul [CHO YONG-JUN] It was around 2:30 p.m. that the rally was beginning to peak, the crowd already having multiplied so immeasurably that there was barely enough ground to set foot on. All roads leading up to the National Assembly were now fully paralyzed due to the coalition of 1,500 civic organizations, and up to 200,000 participants were expected. The number of women in their 20s and 30s were noticeable. Music filled the air and colorful balloons and flags dotted the clear blue sky. Food trucks lined the streets, letting out plumes of smoke. “This is my first rally, so I was a little scared to come today, but being at the scene right now, I feel relief, and I am actually enjoying myself,” said 27-year-old Lee Chae-hyun. Protesters gathered to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol near the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, at 3 p.m. on Dec. 14. [LEE JIAN] The crowd continued to swell with no end in sight up to 3 p.m. as people flooded out of the exits of the National Assembly Station and Yeouido Station, which trains had begun skipping. The Korea JoongAng Daily’s reporters were swallowed up by the crowd as well. Surprisingly, given the feverish atmosphere, the crowd still maintained order; there was little to no shoving. A separate corner of the neighborhood allowed enough space for rally-goers to use the public bathroom. Complete strangers united in songs and chants and took care of each other, sharing snacks, under the mutual belief that Yoon must now go. “I came empty-handed today, but I want to thank fellow citizens who handed us snacks and warm drinks,” said Lee Hyun-hyeong, 23. Food trucks at the rally to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol near the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Dec. 14. [LEE JIAN] At 4 p.m., the voting process on the second impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol officially began. Thousands huddled on the pavement in subzero temperatures, fixating their sights on the jumbotron, which featured the National Assembly speaker, who, for the second time, commenced the floor vote to impeach the president. As soon as opposition Democratic Party (DP) floor leader Park Chan-dae finished speaking, everyone in the rally began clapping. “Impeach! Impeach! Impeach!” the crowd chanted in unison along with, “Until the National Assembly hears our heart!” At other parts of the protest, a woman took to a stage to sing lyrics that likened Yoon to a wolf, while Girls’ Generation continued to blare from speakers. Richard Tremaine, a 72-year-old American visiting Korea for leisure, happened to be in the city amid the ongoing political turmoil. “Of all the things that I can see in Seoul today, coming here was the most important thing I could do,” he said, watching the rally from the side. “This is a historic event. The imposition of martial law a week ago is unique in current history worldwide. And the implications of what happens here today spread throughout the world, including in America, where we have the hints of a president that could follow, lead and impose martial law on a whim. So what happens today in a parliament vote today, is becomes a personal issue for me as well.” Jung Il-geun, 30, left, and Baek Rae-cheol, 31, visit the rally near the National Assembly in western Seoul on Dec. 14. [SHIN MIN-HEE] Thirty-one-year-old Baek Rae-cheol came from Jangheung County, South Jeolla, some 319 kilometers from Yeouido. As of Friday night, high-speed KTX train tickets to Seoul from provincial cities, including Busan, Daejeon, Daegu and Yeosu, were all sold out. "I thought he was kidding me when he told me helicopters were flying around at night in Seoul," Baek said, recalling what he was told by his friend, Jung Il-geun, who was with him on Saturday. "But it was on the news. It was like seeing something from a movie in real life." "Yoon's violent rhetoric, I think, has gotten worse after getting into hot water," Jung said. "We've served in the military, so we know the dangers of pro-North Korean forces, but it's the fact that he's doing damage to us instead, the people of the country." Seo Seung-woo, shown here holding an "Impeach Yoon Suk Yeol" light stick on the morning of Dec. 14, has been selling light sticks, sitting mats and blankets in bulk every day at the rally near the National Assembly in western Seoul since Dec. 5. [SHIN MIN-HEE] As early arrivers braced themselves for a long day, Seo Seung-woo, a middle-aged merchant who had been selling light sticks, said he would stay until everyone from the rally went home. "The younger generation right now are expressing their anger in an orderly fashion through a democratic procedure," Seo said. "They're making our future brighter in a way that's different from how the older generation dealt with political incidents in the past. I'm so proud of them all." Exactly as the clock struck 5 p.m., the motion to impeach the president passed. Of the National Assembly's 300 lawmakers, all participated in the vote, with 204 supporting the motion, 85 opposing it, three abstaining and eight votes declared invalid. Yoon now faces trial at the Constitutional Court. At least six out of nine justices must find him guilty within the next 180 days in order for Yoon to officially be ousted from the presidency. He will continue to serve in office if not found guilty. The president, in a televised public address on Thursday, vowed to “firmly face” impeachment and laid out the reasoning for his decision behind the martial law declaration, continuing to accuse the opposition parties of “paralyzing the government and disrupting the constitution of Korea." Lee Mi-young, a 42-year-old member of the Democratic Party, gleams with joy right after the National Assembly voted Dec. 14 to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, suspending him from authority. [SHIN MIN-HEE] But for now, it was a win for the people. “I feel so happy now. It was so depressing last week, but I am so happy today!” said Moon Yu-jin, 28, who had been at the rally since 1 p.m. “We survived. It’s a win for us and all of Korea,” gleamed 42-year-old Lee Mi-young, a DP member with voting rights. “But it’s not over yet. We still have a long way to go.” BY LEE JIAN, SHIN MIN-HEE, CHO YONG-JUN [[email protected]]