South Korea protesters watch impeachment hopes fade

At 9.20pm, the speaker closed the vote. The crowd went silent as they watched parliamentary officials sift through the ballots. Some let out disappointed groans, while a few screamed angrily at the screens. The usual chant of “impeach, impeach” floated through the air, but it seemed to have lost its vigour.

After what seemed like an eternity, the speaker announced the bill did not pass. It did not meet the quorum of 200 votes for counting. In the crowd, a woman cried out in pain and buried her face in her boyfriend’s chest, sobbing.

The protest leaders rushed to the stage, this time to rally people’s spirits. “We will not stop until Yoon is punished. The people will not accept the existence of PPP. We will fight till the end, till Yoon is impeached,” vowed one speaker. “Dear people, will you join us in our fight to remove Yoon?”

The crowd roared back emphatically: “Yes!”

Meanwhile, inside the National Assembly, opposition leaders vowed to table the impeachment bill again and again until they got rid of Yoon. They have the public on their side: three quarters of South Koreans want an impeachment, according to the latest polls, while Yoon’s approval rating has slid even further to just 13%.

In an attempt to end on a high note, the protest leaders played All I Want for Christmas as a send-off. “Don’t forget your belongings, and please take your rubbish with you,” they urged the dispersing crowd, as Mariah Carey’s voice echoed down the rapidly emptying avenue.

It won’t be long till that road will fill up again. Another round of protests has already been scheduled for Sunday.

Additional reporting by Jake Kwon.