Students gear up for major protests if Yoon fails to resign

Students and academics at major universities across South Korea have condemned President Yoon Suk Yeol’s abrupt and unexpected martial law declaration at 10.27 pm on Tuesday 3 December, calling it unconstitutional and anti-democratic. Students and civil society groups are planning major protests if the president does not step down.

In an emergency address on Tuesday, the South Korean president said his decision to impose martial law – the first such declaration in 45 years – was made to “defend the Republic of Korea from threats posed by North Korean communist forces and to eliminate pro-North anti-state groups that exploit and harm our citizens' freedom and happiness”.

In a swift response, the National Assembly convened and passed a resolution nullifying the martial law declaration just two hours and 40 minutes later, with unanimous approval from 190 lawmakers present.

Yoon revoked the martial law order approximately six hours after declaring it, but his actions unleashed a major backlash.

From the evening of Wednesday 4 December, candlelight vigils were held in 28 locations across South Korea, including the central Gwanghwamun area and outside the National Assembly in Seoul, as well as in cities such as Daejeon, Busan, Gwangju and Jeju.

Protesters demanded Yoon’s resignation, calling for his arrest on charges of insurrection. As of 6 December, the demonstrations show no signs of abating.

Student assembly

The country’s top higher education institution, Seoul National University (SNU), held a general student assembly at the Acropolis Plaza in front of the university’s central library, with the sole agenda item for the day the “demand for President Yoon’s resignation”.

The assembly, which followed a decision by the SNU Student Council on 4 December, was the first of its kind in five years since the 2019 SNU assembly addressing allegations of sexual harassment by a Spanish literature professor.

Official counts recorded 2,556 attendees, including graduate students and exchange students, although only undergraduate participation was formally tallied. For the assembly to proceed, a quorum of 10% of the student body, or 1,551 students, was required.

After over five hours of debate, 98.4% of participants approved a resolution demanding Yoon’s resignation. Students concluded the assembly with a march to the university’s main gate – despite pouring rain – chanting: “Step down, Yoon Suk Yeol!”

Kim Do-hyuk, a graduate student in engineering at SNU, told University World News: “The martial law declaration seemed like a highly serious issue, so I felt compelled to attend. I plan to participate in future gatherings, including those involving graduate students or faculty.”

SNU student council declaration

President of SNU’s Student Council Kim Min-kyu, in a call for protest action if the president did not step down, stated: “If state power fails to uphold democratic values, we are willing to resist authority.”

Kim Min-kyu said: “The president has the responsibility to safeguard the basic rights of the people and uphold the democratic constitutional order, yet he has instead made decisions that severely undermine them. Through this general assembly, we aim to unite the democratic will of the university community and respond collectively.”

SNU students Yoon Jong-min, Baek Jang-woon, and Kim Min-sung, who introduced the motion, invoked the memory of 1987, when a mass uprising took place against the then military dictatorship of Chun Doo-hwan.

The uprising is often regarded as the beginning of South Korea’s move towards democracy. They said: “Even if we did not personally witness or hear it, the fact that our predecessors fought for the nation's survival here at Acropolis Square is embedded throughout the campus.”

They added: “Years later, the martial law declaration by Yoon Suk Yeol’s administration has brought us together in this place. It is here at Acropolis Square that we must hold him accountable and etch his disgraceful name into history. There is no justification for a usurper who forcibly sought to overthrow constitutional institutions to remain as our president.

“Carrying forward the responsibility borne by our predecessors who made countless sacrifices for democracy, we stand here to proudly demand Yoon Suk Yeol’s resignation.”

On the SNU campus, posters condemning Yoon were displayed by the student council.

The SNU Student Council issued a statement on 4 December titled: “We Condemn Yoon Suk Yeol’s Martial Law Declaration”, saying: “We denounce Yoon Suk Yeol’s actions, which have trampled on the spirit of the April 19 pro-democracy movement that resisted injustice” – a reference to the 1960s democracy movement in the country.

The statement was jointly signed by Student Council President Kim Min-kyu, Vice-President Kim Bo-hee and 18 college-level student council presidents.

It declared: “This martial law declaration is clearly an act that undermines South Korea’s liberal democratic constitutional order. The justification for martial law, claimed to be an effort to rebuild a free Republic of Korea descending into ruin, has instead dragged our constitutional democracy into chaos.”

Student protests

On Friday 6 December, the Korean University Student Councils’ Joint Forum held a press conference at Sinchon Star Square in Seoul’s Seodaemun District with representatives of the student councils of nine universities, including Korea University, Yonsei University, Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology, Ewha Womans University, Sogang University, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, and Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology.

Yonsei University Student Council President Ham Hyung-jin referenced the June 1987 democratic movement, saying: “Just as students stood up against tear gas and military oppression in 1987, we now face a similar historical challenge. This martial law declaration was an unconstitutional act, ungrounded in any justifiable emergency.”

Ham said in a later interview with University World News on the same day: “Despite this press briefing, ongoing declarations, and candlelight protests, if President Yoon Suk Yeol and those involved fail to acknowledge their wrongdoing, we plan to intensify our response in collaboration with more university student councils joining the movement.”

Ham added: “Beyond the university councils present today, many others have expressed solidarity. Efforts are underway to amplify student voices through initiatives like general assemblies to address this issue. The martial law declaration was an unconstitutional act of tyranny that cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.

“The constitution permits martial law only under war, calamity, or equivalent national emergencies. President Yoon violated this by infringing on political and press freedoms.

As in 1987, students are naturally voicing dissent against threats to democracy. If the president and those responsible fail to apologise and step down, we will continue to amplify student voices with solidarity from other universities.”

Kim Seok-hyun, president of Sogang University's Student Council, said at the press conference: “The unconstitutional martial law declaration violated students' academic freedom. President Yoon must cease his arrogance and take full responsibility for this action.”

Oh Chang-hwa, president of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies’ Student Council, called for “a sincere apology and a thorough investigation into the martial law declaration, aligning with the values of democracy”.

Park Seo-rim, president of Ewha Womans University’s Student Council, said: “President Yoon, who once claimed to prioritise public safety and security, pointed guns at his own citizens by declaring martial law. Students and citizens will create a new history of democracy and liberation in response.”

Academics speak out

Meanwhile, 50 SNU faculty members issued a statement on 5 December titled: “Immediately hold Yoon Suk Yeol accountable for destroying constitutional order”.

The statement condemned the martial law declaration as a crime against democracy and called for the immediate arrest of Yoon for unconstitutional actions and military intervention in parliamentary affairs.

It followed an earlier statement by 525 SNU faculty and researchers on 28 November demanding Yoon’s resignation. On 4 December, 13 directors and leading scholars of Korean studies institutes from North American universities, including Harvard and Stanford, also released a statement condemning the martial law declaration.

The Korean Law Professors’ Association also issued a statement criticising the declaration of emergency martial law as “a serious abuse of authority”.

According to a police announcement on Friday, a massive rally is planned for 7 December in Seoul, with over 200,000 expected to gather at the National Assembly in Yeouido and the Gwanghwamun areas of the city to demand Yoon’s resignation.

The National Movement for the Resignation of the Yoon Suk Yeol Regime (henceforth referred to as the Resignation Movement Headquarters), organised around the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, has scheduled its third general rally for Saturday 7 December along roads that cut through the National Assembly complex in Yeouido.

On the same evening, the National Assembly is set to vote on the impeachment motion against Yoon.