Braving the cold, the protesters seeking President Yoon Suk Yeol’s ouster had gathered in the thousands on Saturday outside South Korea’s National Assembly, where lawmakers were to decide whether to impeach the leader. The crowd was boisterous in its insistence: “Impeach Yoon!”

When voting started, the protesters grew silent, their eyes glued to large screens that were livestreaming the meeting. Protest organisers, trying to keep the mood upbeat, played music as the votes were being counted. Then came the announcement by the Speaker of the National Assembly: The vote had passed. The crowd roared, waving their flags and banners in the air. Protesters jumped up and down, hugged one another, and looked to the sky, some with tears in their eyes. Balloons were released into the air. “Long live South Korea!” they shouted.

For many protesters, the outcome was a relief from the uncertainty set off by Yoon’s surprise declaration of martial law on December 3. His decision, which he said was to counter an opposition that was “trying to overthrow the free democracy”, was the first time a South Korean President had declared martial law since the country’s military dictatorship ended in the late 1980s.

“This is the happiest moment of my life,” said Kim Myoung-sook a 60-year-old Seoul resident. “Martial law is a declaration of war on the people, and I was so depressed over the past week.”

Park Sun-woo, a 54-year-old resident of Seoul, said he had come out to join the protests in recent days and was moved to see people participating from across society. “No matter the gender or age, the people came together,” he said. “Thank you to the young people who turned out. Our sons and daughters. You have grown up so well.”

“I love you!” he shouted to people as they passed by him.Following the announcement, music blasted from the speakers, and free food and coffee were passed out to protesters. Families crowded around spicy rice cake stalls to grab a bite. “Well done. We’ve done it,” people said to one another.

“I’m over the moon, but this cannot happen again,” said An Jung-hyun, a 26-year-old office worker in Seoul. As a higher schooler, An joined demonstrations against President Park Geun-hye in 2017.

So when Yoon declared martial law, An’s reaction was to take to the streets instantly. “It was as if my body had muscle memory,” she said.

In one alleyway, a band performed in front of a small crowd that was swaying to the slower, more mellow tunes than those on the main street.

New York Times News Service