Korean’s vibrant democracy
Today is unlike any other day for me as a photographer. I traded my usual peaceful landscapes for the bustling streets of Yeouido, Seoul, to document a historic demonstration: the protest for the impeachment of South Korea’s “president” Yoon Suk Yeol. Armed with only my 40mm f2, I ventured out to capture the energy, emotion, and significance of this powerful moment for democracy. A subway ride that takes me 20 minutes on a regular day took me over 2 hours, I wasn’t the only one to go to the protest! In fact, I was supposed to meet a friend couple there… we never found each other! The immense crowd was also using up all the phone signal. Let’s dive in the beauty of Korean street democracy.
The crowd rushed to make it the main stage of the protest: the National Assembly. I captured this slow shutter speed shot to show the action, but also because the building in the back is one of the major banks of the country… It reminded me of 2008-9 anti-capitalist demonstrations in front if Wall Street…
A Change of Scene
Usually, my photography takes me to serene natural settings, but this time, I found myself in one of the noisy center of the city. The streets were alive with chants, flags, and for once everyone shared a sense of purpose. The demonstration was organized in response to recent political events; the “president” attempted a coup about 2 weeks earlier, thankfully it failed and lasted only 6 hours. People gathered in the hope that the second impeachment vote would pass (spoiler: it did!). The atmosphere was charged with hope, unity and joy. Far from my usual calmness, and so close to the heart at the same time…
Later in the evening the sun had set and in spite of the bitter cold that day people brought a warmth only seen at times like this; light sticks rocking back and forth, fantasy flags waving, smiles displaying and a unity chanting…
You didn’t have the official glow stick? Doesn’t matter, bring your own, from a Kpop concert, a $1 store or even christmas lights will do!
Capturing the Moment
For this event, I decided to use my Z7 with a 40mm lens, perfect for snapping quick, opportunistic shots in an ever-moving environment. From the start, I knew this wouldn’t be an ordinary shoot. The crowd was enormous—so dense that even cell service was down. Everywhere I turned, there was something compelling to photograph: fantasy flags (it was the gimmick of this protest, to come up with flag of things that don’t exist like the “movement for carrying backpack on the front” or “Group of Death By Daylight survivors in (a famous video game).
One another major thing about this demonstration is that it was lead by women, even very young women. During his campaign and subsequent mandate the “president” never ceased to exacerbate anti-feminist speech, so it is only normal that women of all ages came out to regain some of the dignity he took away from them…
Finding still people in the middle of the moving crowd wasn’t the easiest but I’m glad it was this young woman, especially since she’s the only one wearing white. A whole symbol.
It’s not only young woman, middle aged women also voiced their discontent. Hopefully her raised light stick will help her friends find her… not sure though!
A Lesson in Unity
This experience reminded me of the power of collective action and the importance of standing up for democracy. It was humbling to see so many people—young and old, from all walks of life—united for a common cause…
Who said there was a right age to protest? This young man was shouting 윤석열 탄핵 (Yoon Suk Yeol impeachment) like a pro demonstrator! This image brings me warmth, I realize that democracy has a bright future in this country. Fighting!
While violence is the power of the rich and powerful, our power is that in our phone, that of sharing our passion for being free, for defying those powers that be, that be only for a time as long as we watch.
This image of this young woman, both determined and dignified, is the one I want to remember of this day. She reminded me of the iconic Marianne from the French collective memory of the Revolution, a symbolizing hope, resilience and fighting for what is right. To me, that photo encapsulated the spirit of this demonstration. I wish I could give her this image…
As I made my way back through the crowd, my fingers frozen but my heart full, I reflected on the importance of preserving these moments through photography. They are a testament to the resilience of people who love freedom and democracy. I want this blog post to be a thank you to all those of us who fight unjust leaderships, in the name of humanity we owe ourselves to fight for our freedom. Thank you, Korean people.
And thank you for joining me on this unique report at the heart of the current events in Korea. I hope this blog has inspired you to keep the watch for your own human rights.
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This week’s video is here, the protest in POV, as if you were there:
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À bientôt!
