Protesters hold a candlelight rally calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment in front of the National Assembly on Tuesday night in Yeouido, Seoul. Yonhap

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, after an impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol was dismissed due to a lack of sufficient votes. Since then, peaceful nightly candlelight protests have been ongoing, with no major physical confrontations.

The peaceful atmosphere is due to a shared objective of demanding the president's resignation, which has bridged generational divides, as well as the lessons learned from the nonviolent protests of 2016 during the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye.

"I stuck a ‘Resignation' sticker on a fan I used to play with my friends with and brought it here. I thought it might help in uniting with people of different generations at the protest," Lee, a 29-year-old participant, said.

Kim, 56, another participant, said, "In the late 1980s when I was a student, I used to fear violent crackdowns from the police during demonstrations. But this protest is enjoyable; we even sing folk songs. Seeing these young people, who I thought were carefree and irresponsible, come out here is inspiring."

Light sticks are being sold in front of the National Assembly, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Kang Yea-jin

On Tuesday, 30 minutes before the candlelight protest began at 6 p.m., a variety of songs, including Lee Juck's "Fly High" and TripleS' "Girls Never Die," filled the air.

At the protest the day before, songs spanning generations — like the trot hit "Amor Fati," dance tracks such as girl group aespa's "Whiplash," and old favorites like "Bingo" — were played.

"This protest feels like a festival compared to the solemn and determined demonstrations of the past. I'm staying warm and having fun, shouting slogans while standing my ground," Chang, a mother of three, said.

The protests have also showcased a rare blending of people across differences in age, gender and political or sexual orientation.

One rally highlight was when BLACKPINK member Rose's "APT." was played alongside Yoon Soo-il's 42-year-old song of the same title, "Apartment," prompting high school students to dance to the rhythm.

Park, 81, who had witnessed the April 19 Revolution in the 1960s, said, "I'm so happy to be standing with young people to defend the democracy we bled for."

Even in tense moments, participants have made visible efforts to avoid physical clashes.

On Saturday, when some protesters also tried to climb the gates of the National Assembly, other demonstrators chanted "peaceful protest" to stop them.

Protesters hold signs and light sticks at the Nongsusanmul Market Intersection in Incheon, Monday. Newsis

On Monday, when the police advised protesters to move off the streets and onto the sidewalks, both organizers and participants willingly complied.

"We've only asked for more police to handle the crowd. The protests have remained peaceful, and the level of civic awareness seems incredibly mature," Shin Ha-na, a lawyer with the civic group Lawyers for a Democratic Society, said.

Under the unified banner of "President's resignation," experts attribute the success of the peaceful protests to the adoption of demonstrations as a means of personal expression.

"The distinction between those at the forefront and supporters in the back has vanished. People are beginning to see protests as part of their everyday lives," Jeong Byung-ki, a professor of political science at Yeungnam University, said.

Organizers such as People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy have distributed guidelines emphasizing inclusivity and respect.

The guidelines include instructions to avoid discriminatory or objectifying language toward women, sexual minorities, disabled people and teenagers, as well as to refrain from physical contact.

"The atmosphere feels like a melting pot where conflicts and divisions are resolved," Lee Byeong-hoon, an honorary professor of sociology at Chung-Ang University, said.

A citizen holds a light stick and a sign at a candlelight protest calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment in front of the National Assembly, Tuesday. Yonhap

Lee noted that the 2016 protests provided a learning experience, demonstrating the power of civic participation. "Since 2016, we've learned that when citizens act together, authority kneels. We're now seeing people uphold constitutional values more faithfully than any president," he said.

Koo Jeong-woo, a sociology professor at Sungkyunkwan University, also said, "Citizens want to show that democracy grows stronger in times of crisis. They are proving that yet again through these protests."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.