The 27th Newsletter

Hi there 

This is your A.thentic Jong Hee. 

And this is my 27th Newsletter for you. 

How are you today?
I hope you’re doing well these days. How’s the weather where you are?

Here in Busan, it’s getting colder but not extremely so. The temperature ranges from -1 to 8 degrees Celsius, while in Seoul, it’s around -5 to 5 degrees. Next week, Seoul is expected to get even colder. Busan, however, hasn’t had any snow yet.

As I mentioned on my Instagram, today I want to talk about the recent political issues in Korea and my perspective on how people reacted. The way Koreans responded to and protested these events is important to me because it connects to culture, particularly music like K-pop, as I’m a musician.

Oh, before that, as I promised, I will share my pictures without a mask while at the gym.

(Looking at the photo I just uploaded, I feel like it might be better for me to keep posting photos with a mask on.)

Okay, now back to the protest issue, I will write it shortly about why this happened first. It might make you bored if I say too much.

In December 2016, the Korean people demonstrated against the corruption of then-President Park (her last name). She was impeached through the National Assembly, and the Constitutional Court upheld her removal from office. After numerous corruption charges were proven, she was sentenced to prison. Following this, President Moon, from the Democratic Party, was elected.

He performed admirably during his five years as president. However, one critical mistake he made was appointing Yoon Seok Yeol as Prosecutor General. In Korea, the prosecution is a powerful institution responsible for investigating and conducting legal proceedings against those accused of crimes. The prosecution can investigate anyone—groups, institutions, or even the current president—if they "believe" a crime has been committed.

Recognizing the dangers of this unchecked power, President Moon appointed Yoon to reform the prosecution. Yoon had gained attention for investigating and prosecuting former President Park, ultimately sending her to prison (of course, the judiciary determined her guilt). President Moon also appointed ‘Cho Kook’ as Minister of Justice, giving him oversight of the prosecution. ‘Cho’ was so progressive and has strongly criticized the prosecution. 

However, Yoon betrayed the government’s reform efforts. Instead of supporting Minister Cho, Yoon used his authority to launch an aggressive investigation into Cho himself. When no crimes were found, Yoon extended the investigation to Cho’s family, relatives, and even friends. 

After years of this "witch hunt," Yoon emerged as a presidential candidate. Once President Moon’s term ended, Yoon leveraged his media-crafted image as a hero, gaining support from many naive Korean voters. Ironically, the same conservative party that had once criticized Yoon for past misconduct now embraced him as their candidate. Despite Yoon's betrayal of President Moon and the Democratic Party, he won the election by a razor-thin margin of 0.1%.

As an artist and music composer/producer, I find it hard to reconcile with this outcome. I’m an artist. Artists see the future, and people’s basic human value and equality. So how can I be conservative? Artists like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift openly support progressive causes and leaders like Kamala Harris. "Normal" artists usually support democratic parties. How could someone like me, who despises figures like Donald Trump, support someone like Yoon? And Yoon was elected president, just like Donald Trump, who was found guilty of 34 crimes, was elected president in the U.S. This is crazy. (As I said before, I really hate Trump.)

Some people have told me that Korea is their “dream” country.
There is no “heavenly” or “dream-like” country in the world. South Korea, for example, has its share of struggles, particularly with political issues. As for North Korea and Kim Jong Un? We honestly don’t care. You might be surprised, but when Kim Jung Un fires missiles, nightclubs and bars here are packed with young people. He’s not seen as a real threat. (In fact, while we were out protesting recently, Kim stayed unusually calm, almost like he was helping us by doing nothing.)

While we face unstable politics, there is hope—our people. Koreans may make mistakes, like electing the wrong president, but when a leader fails or acts corruptly, we don’t just sit back. We take action. That’s how we impeached the former female president, removed her from office, and sent her to jail.

Now, our current president—a “stupid, evil, dumbass” leader—has been a disaster. But his biggest mistake? Declaring martial law. (Seriously, wtf?! We knew that he is an evil)

As soon as martial law was declared, people in Seoul rushed to the National Assembly. Some drove, others took taxis, and when traffic got too heavy, they ran or biked to the scene. They stopped the army with their bare hands, allowing the lawmakers to gather and pass a motion to overturn martial law. It took only about two hours, and the president was forced to back down.

Since then, protests have continued, with people demanding his resignation or impeachment. Now, I want to show you how we’ve fought back—not just against the president but also against the conservative party. (To pass the impeachment, we needed at least eight votes from the conservative side.)

Here’s the fun part: I’ll show you how people—especially the younger generation—protested. And this is the reason why I decided to write this newsletter.

The Subject of the Protest: Young Generation in Korea

In the previous presidential impeachment, most participants were middle-aged, with younger people joining in to support them. However, the very first protesters were middle school girls. Isn’t that amazing? They became the spark for a massive movement.

Now, however, the majority of protesters are from the 20s–30s age group, including Millennials and Gen Z. They know well how hard their parents’ generation fought to establish democracy, and they’re determined to actively defend it through their own participation.

The Method of Protest: Singing and Dancing to K-Pop Songs

In recent years, protests in Korea have moved away from violence. During the last impeachment movement, people held candlelight vigils, singing folk or labor songs. But this young generation has added a new twist: singing and dancing to K-Pop songs.

You might have seen these scenes on the news in your country. Young people chose songs with lyrics that match the situation or even rewrite the lyrics to suit the protest. Popular tracks include songs by BTS, Girls’ Generation, Aespa, G-Dragon, and Rosé, etc.

For example, Girls’ Generation’s song "Into the New World" has become a protest anthem.

As you can see here, I’ve said a lot, but how could anyone suppress such a joyful and cheerful protest? How can they possibly defeat people protesting this way?

That said, it doesn’t mean the protesters aren’t angry. They are deeply frustrated, and they express their feelings passionately when speaking to the media about the president’s foolish actions. However, they chose this creative and vibrant way to protest.

In the previous impeachment protests, people stood still, holding candlelights and chanting slogans like “Impeach the president” peacefully. But now, the younger generation has transformed the nature of protests. They sing and dance to K-Pop songs, and their enthusiasm has inspired other generations to join in. Even the older generation is busy learning K-Pop songs so they can sing along at the protests.

This dynamic has united the young and old generations beautifully, creating a strong, harmonious force.

(Shorts : “Impeachment is the answer” :  the lyrics of the carol song have been changed to "It will be a Merry Christmas after the president is impeached.")

Holding a Different Light: The Light Sticks for Their K-Pop Idols

In previous protests, people held candle lights, but now, young people have started holding light sticks, known as Eung-wonbong. These light sticks are used at K-Pop concerts, but now they are being used for protests.

There’s a reason for this choice.

During the impeachment protests 7 or 8 years ago, when we were holding candle lights, a foolish congressman from the conservative party said, “촛불은 꺼지게 되어있다,” meaning “Candles are destined to go out.” After that, some protesters started carrying large torches.

Now, the younger generation remembers that comment and decided to bring light sticks instead—sticks that don’t go out and can keep shining through the night.

When some critics, especially from older generations, accused the young people (mostly girls) of just wanting to play outside together, the young people responded, “Do you have any idea how expensive these light sticks are to us? They’re not only expensive but also fragile, making them precious to us. But we brought them to the protest because it’s more important than anything else.”

(You can watch from “4:46” for people singing Rose’s “APT.” )

(Shorts : The ‘party’ after the impeachment vote passed.) 

Various forms of support for the protest: Prepayment to shops & Street clean-up

Many people wish to join the protest gatherings, but due to various circumstances, some are unable to attend. These individuals have found alternative ways to support the protesters, one of which is through "prepaid services." The main protest site is near the National Assembly building, where supporters contact nearby shops, make payments in advance, and leave their names (or nicknames) on social media. Protesters can then visit these shops, mention the nickname, and receive free items.

Initially, this movement began with prepaid coffee but expanded to include snacks like ‘Eomook’ (fish cakes) and rice cakes, and eventually, hot meals such as gukbap (a hot soup with rice). Given the cold weather at the protest site, this support has been crucial. Contributions range from small amounts to thousands of dollars, with some donations covering up to 1,000 meals (each meal costing around $10 us dollars). Even teenagers use their allowances for prepayments, and donations have poured in from local residents as well as overseas Koreans. In many cases, the demand to prepay exceeds the shops’ daily capacity.

Beyond prepaid services, people have voluntarily contributed hot packs, cushions for sitting on cold ground, water, and other essentials. One couple even rented a bus to create a space for nursing mothers to feed their babies or change diapers. All of these efforts stem from the spontaneous participation of concerned citizens.

As I mentioned in my Instagram post, in Korea, even when nearly a million people gather for a protest, it’s hard to find a single piece of trash on the streets afterward. This is thanks not only to the many volunteers who assist with organizing and cleanup but also to the citizens who take it upon themselves to tidy up their surroundings once the protest ends. People do this because they don’t want to hear criticisms about leaving the area dirty or causing disruption. They understand that a completely clean and morally upright demonstration adds more weight to their message. Related videos are below.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCWcQrU2eFA

(You can start to watch from 0’:10”, showing people cleaning up the street). 

(From 0’: 44”, you can see it)

(It’s only 1:43 short video)

There are countless heartwarming stories like this, many of which have already been covered by international news outlets. So, I will limit the related videos to this extent. If you'd like to find more, copy and paste the phrase “응원봉 시위” (Light Sticks Protest) into YouTube's search bar. You’ll find an abundance of related videos.

Lastly, I want to talk about the flags people bring to protests. Of course, there are large flags carried by major organizations like religious groups or unions. But recently, there has been an explosion in small, personalized flags carried by individuals. Each of these flags represents a unique “organization,” often with humorous or creative names.

One origin of this trend dates back to the 2016 impeachment protests. At the time, when a conservative passerby saw someone protesting and asked, “Who sent you here? Who ordered you to come? This isn’t voluntary, right?” the protester humorously replied, “My cat sent me here.” Following that, quirky flags referencing cat-related groups began appearing. During this protest, the creativity of these flags reached new heights.

When interviewed, people carrying these flags often explain their intentions: “We want to show that this isn’t a gathering exclusively for special people or particular organizations. It’s a protest where anyone can join.” This reflects the spirit of the protest and underscores its commitment to the values of “true democracy.”

Below are a few examples of these unique flags.

Lastly, the video below is about five minutes long and offers a breathtaking aerial view of the approximately 2 million people gathered around the National Assembly building on the day of the impeachment vote. (Here in Busan, around 70,000 people gathered. I wanted to go to Seoul, but train tickets to Seoul had been sold out for days.)

As mentioned earlier, while Korea’s political situation is gradually stabilizing, tensions still remain. However, there is new hope for democracy—what makes this movement distinct is the prominent role played by the younger generation, particularly the MZ generation. They have begun to take ownership of their country’s future.

It’s also worth noting that the ripple effects of their cultural contributions, such as K-pop, K-dramas, and other facets of K-culture, are expected to grow even more. If these young people decide to create something, the older generation is likely to support them. I believe this could serve as a model for a new era of democracy.

I sincerely hope other countries can be inspired by the way young Koreans are defending democracy—with positivity, joy, and enthusiasm.

Okay, thank you for reading 🙏🌹

Have a nice day and night. 

I will see you next time. 

Warm Regards

A.thentic Jong Hee