The 28th Newsletter

Hi there 

This is your A.thentic Jong Hee.

And this is my 28th Newsletter for you.

How are you today? How is the weather in your area now? 

The current weather here in Busan is a moderately cold winter day, fluctuating between 0°C and 10°C. In Seoul, the temperature is about 3 to 4 degrees lower than that.❄️

Last weekend, I intended to write a newsletter but ended up being busy making music. Moreover, I was in shock due to some minor disturbances within our country.

To state the conclusion upfront, our country’s democracy is slowly recovering.
(Just to clarify, I’m not writing this newsletter to promote Korean democracy or encourage tourism in Korea. I am not a tour guide for Korea. There’s already an abundance of websites on Google about traveling to Korea.)

Anyway, this newsletter will be short—just a quick attendance check.

First, what do you think these pictures are about? The location is downtown Seoul.

Doesn't it look like a Winter Food Festival? But it’s not. All the food from these food trucks is completely free. That’s because the food has been prepaid by people from all over the country—even overseas Koreans living abroad.

Youtube Shorts ;

The food was provided for the countless people protesting nearby, shouting “Impeach the President” to defend democracy. In addition to these food trucks, as I mentioned before, there are many restaurants, cafes, and other establishments in the area where prepaid meals are available, offering plenty of free food. A new culture has been created within the protests.

And secondly, as I mentioned in my Instagram story, this photo of Hershey’s Kisses chocolates makes me tear up. Every citizen of South Korea feels the same way.

Because of these very photos.

The reason these photos became so iconic is that, on this particular day, a heavy snowstorm warning was issued in Seoul. It was forecasted that a massive amount of snow would fall, and anyone familiar with Seoul's winter knows how brutally cold it can be. 

Yet, as seen in these photos, protesters gathered at this location despite the harsh weather. The location was none other than in front of the residence of the now-impeached and corrupt president. Protests demanding the president’s arrest were held continuously, and on that freezing winter night, as snow fell heavily, these people stayed there all night long. They endured the bitter cold until morning, relying on nothing but emergency foil blankets.❄️

Through the night, wrapped in those silver foil blankets, they remained silently and peacefully, staging their sit-in to demand the corrupt president's arrest. No one, not even the organizers, expected that they would endure the heavy snowfall and brave the night like this. By dawn, the falling snow had even turned into rain. Despite being soaked by both snow and rain, they remained steadfast, holding their ground until the morning.💓

This quiet yet powerful act of endurance moved many of us deeply, especially those of us living outside Seoul. It brought tears to our eyes. Their determination also inspired and pressured politicians and law enforcement, ultimately making it possible to arrest and imprison the president who clung to power until the end. This led to a historic first in South Korea's constitutional history: the arrest and imprisonment of a sitting president.

(Currently, the president's impeachment trial is still ongoing, and after that, a criminal trial will be held to hold them accountable for his crimes.)

We, our generation in South Korea, feel an immense sense of indebtedness to these individuals—who are often referred to as the "Kisses Protesters." Someone who was there later said, "Sitting wrapped in foil, it felt like sugar-powdered snow was falling. But we couldn’t give up.”

As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, the women of the 20s and 30s generation in South Korea played a remarkable role in this movement, rising as a powerful force for democracy. That fact alone fills me with joy.

A few days ago, after the corrupt president was officially arrested, I was shocked to hear that a group of far-right extremists attempted to storm the court and incite riots. Such an incident was unprecedented in South Korea. However, these individuals are now being identified, arrested, and sent to prison one by one. They will likely face prison sentences ranging from 3 to 20 years.

While it’s always possible, as with Trump inciting the Capitol riots and then later running for re-election in the U.S., that South Korea could one day elect another strange or dangerous leader (though I sincerely hope that never happens), one thing remains certain: despite our political turmoil, cultural production has never stopped.

New idol music, like IVE's "Revel Heart" released on January 13th, continues to captivate fans worldwide. New K-dramas are premiering (I’m personally obsessed with one right now). Content creation is thriving. And on top of that, my own new single will be released at the end of this month! It will likely be the 7th track in my Love Story album series. Of course, I’ll also share the story behind it in this newsletter, so please look forward to reading it.

Wishing you a wonderful day ahead!

Thank you for reading 🌹

Warm Regards 

A.thentic Jong Hee