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Korea Herald
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
K-pop anthems of democracy
Revisit some beloved K-pop songs that formed the soundtrack of protests during four months of political turmoil From former President Yoon Suk Yeol's sudden declaration of martial law the night of Dec. 3 to his removal by the Constitutional Court on April 4, many South Koreans spent those 122 days protesting, marching and calling for democracy. Amid the serious atmosphere at the demonstrations, one element stood out— the voluntary participation of younger generations and the powerful presence of K-pop music. Here are some of the tracks that lit up the night skies during the countless protests, uplifting the crowd and bringing people together. Girls' Generation's "Into the New World" 'Into the New World' is the debut single of Girls' Generation, a legendary group that helped shape K-pop. Released in August 2007, the song features a stirring harmony of guitar, keyboard and drums and heartfelt lyrics of encouragement, all wrapped in a stirring melody. This track, which echoed at many recent protests calling for Yoon's impeachment, has been used as a protest song since 2016. That year, when students at Ewha Womans University staged a sit-in against the university's plan to build a college of continuing education despite students' opposition, they sang this song to encourage each other as police gathered to break up the protest. From then on, the song began to carry the weight and spirit of a protest anthem. It continued to be heard during the demonstrations demanding the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye. Time and again, it has served as a song that unites citizens and shows their collective yearning for a new, better world. Day6's "Time of Our Life" This track by Day6, one of the most exciting bands in the Korean music scene today, also became a staple at impeachment protest rallies. 'Time of Our Life,' the lead track from the band's fifth EP, "The Book of Us: Gravity," released in July 2019, compares moments spent together to pages in a book—celebrating the value of the present and the hope of a shared future. With Day6's signature refreshing and heart-pounding rock sound, the song has often been played at graduation ceremonies and festivals. Its bold message — making the present moment unforgettable — made it a perfect fit for protests. As it is easy to sing along to and full of youthful energy, it quickly became a crowd favorite at impeachment rallies. G-Dragon's "Crooked" G-Dragon, a K-pop icon who recently thrilled fans with his first album in eight years and a new world tour, also lent his voice to the recent impeachment protests through his music. Chanting the opening line, 'Nothing lasts forever,' demonstrators found the courage to continue the fight and stand in solidarity for the society they dream of. 'Crooked,' released in September 2013 as one of the main tracks from G-Dragon's second LP, "Coup D'etat," features a catchy, repetitive melody that easily sparks mass sing-alongs at protest gatherings. Blending punk rock, rap and dance music, the track's pounding beat is matched by G-Dragon's sometimes childlike, sometimes fierce vocals —making it both emotionally charged and an irresistible anthem.
Korea Herald
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Nation gains closure with Constitutional Court ruling to remove Yoon
K-pop anthems, tearful protests show nation divided The Constitutional Court of Korea voted unanimously to remove President Yoon Suk Yeol from office, delivering a definitive verdict on Friday that punctuated months of political turmoil triggered by his short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024. As interim Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae began reading out the 8-0 decision at 11 a.m., tens of thousands of South Koreans fell silent across Seoul's divided protest sites. Smartphones shot upward to capture the moment as loudspeakers broadcast the verdict through streets where police buses formed barricades between opposing crowds. "President Yoon Suk Yeol violated his duty as the nation's commander-in-chief when he sent troops to the National Assembly in December," Justice Moon said, his voice echoing across the capital. The martial law declaration had "broadly violated the citizens' rights and damaged the republic's order," he clarified. Then came the pronouncement that sealed the president's fate: "In a unanimous vote, the court upholds the National Assembly's motion to impeach the president." Near the Constitutional Court, just blocks apart but worlds away politically, South Koreans responded with emotions as divided as the nation itself. Anti-Yoon protesters erupted in jubilation, embracing one another with tears streaming down their faces. Many jumped up and down, pumping fists skyward as K-pop anthems — for some time a soundtrack to the progressive protests here — blasted from portable speakers. "Into the New World" by Girls' Generation reverberated through the crowd as demonstrators linked arms and swayed. One protest leader seized a microphone to lead a triumphant chant: "We won!" Meanwhile, supporters of the ousted president received the news with disbelief. At Jongno's Tapgol Park, a longtime gathering place of retirees who come to play the board game Go and get free meals from a soup kitchen, aged protesters clutching Korean flags sat motionless, some wiping tears. Others shouted profanities at the screens broadcasting the court's ruling. "How can it be 8-0? They must have bribed the justices," cried a middle-aged woman near the presidential residence in Hannam-dong. Nearby, a cluster of protesters hung their heads in disappointment. Early morning standoff The nation's political divide was on stark display throughout the morning as throngs of protesters were gathering across Seoul. In some locations, the two sides occupied opposite ends of the same streets, emblematic of the stark polarization of South Korean politics in recent years. Near Anguk Station in central Seoul, a group of anti-Yoon demonstrators had camped overnight, their ranks swelling by early morning. Rainbow flags waved alongside banners reading "Impeach the insurrectionist-in-chief" and "Democracy shall prevail," as speakers blared aespa's "Supernova" — another K-pop track widely adopted by the movement. Barely a kilometer away at Tapgol Park, clusters of older Yoon supporters had gathered from the early morning. Many wore headbands supporting the president and carried South Korean flags, a symbol of conservative protests. Some confronted passersby, calling them "commies" and demanding to know their political affiliations. Meanwhile, the scene at Gwanghwamun, Seoul's central boulevard traditionally used for mass demonstrations, was surprisingly sparsely populated after firebrand evangelical pastor Jun Kwang-hoon relocated his pro-Yoon rally to Hannam-dong the previous night. Large screens were installed nonetheless, displaying live feeds from other protest sites. By 10 a.m., the area around the presidential residence in Hannam-dong had become a study in contrasts. Police in riot gear created buffer zones between opposing crowds positioned just hundreds of meters apart. Reporters passed through multiple ID checkpoints to access the secured perimeter where the sides gathered in anticipation. Verdict's release When the court's ruling began streaming live, a profound hush descended across both sides of the divide. The crowd listened as the Constitutional Court methodically dismissed, one by one, all points raised by Yoon's defense — from claims of presidential immunity to questions about procedural technicalities. The reaction to the verdict played out like a real-time illustration of the nation's political schism. At the anti-Yoon rally sites, celebration erupted instantly. Kwon Oh-hyeok, head of Candle Action, a civic group that has led anti-Yoon rallies in recent years, addressed the jubilant crowd near the Constitutional Court: "We stand at a new starting line today. We've proven that the people are the true owners of this republic. Let's fight on to build a new democratic government!" A former Marine in his 40s among the anti-Yoon protesters took a more pointed approach. "Now that the Yoon regime has been decapitated, it's time to dissolve the People Power Party as an unconstitutional insurrectionist party," he exclaimed. "We can't let up now." Particularly emotional was the mother of a victim of the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush disaster, which had become a rallying point for Yoon's critics. "We didn't give up, and we won," she said. "But this dismissal is just the beginning. Now we can finally begin proper mourning for our loved ones." By noon, anti-Yoon demonstrators had begun marching westward from around the Constitutional Court toward Gyeongbokgung, singing along to aespa's "Whiplash" as they moved through the streets. For weeks, pro-Yoon speakers had invoked the "right to resist" and warned of massive demonstrations should the court rule against the president. Their rhetoric stoked fears of potential unrest, with some even suggesting that South Korea could face a civil crisis if Yoon were removed. However, the response from Yoon's supporters remained restrained. While some protesters had run-ins with police — one was arrested for breaking a police bus window near the Constitutional Court — most expressed their anger through shouts and tears. Small clusters of protesters lingered, their heated exchanges with police officers occasionally escalating into shouting matches before subsiding again. Near the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Kim Kyung-hee, 54, stood clutching a Korean flag, tears welling in her eyes. "We need to resist like during the April 19 Revolution," she said, referring to the 1960 student uprising that led to President Syngman Rhee's resignation. "I cannot accept the court's decision. The real issue is election fraud. Yoon should have received more votes, and other elections have been rigged too," she said, vowing to remain at the protest all day and attend a planned demonstration at Gwanghwamun the following day. A group of four middle-aged women confronted police officers, saying: "Wake up! You're becoming Lee Jae-myung's dogs," referring to the opposition leader widely considered a front-runner in the upcoming presidential election. "If Lee becomes president, we could be imprisoned like in Hong Kong." The feared explosion of violence did not materialize. Even the Rev. Jun, whose fiery rhetoric had riled up crowds for months and who, earlier in the morning, had urged resistance, struck an unexpectedly conciliatory tone after the ruling. "Millions should gather at Gwanghwamun by 1 p.m. tomorrow," he told the crowd in Yongsan. "But we absolutely must not fight with the police. If we get hit, we take it. We must follow the law to pass down a free republic to future generations." By early afternoon, many pro-Yoon demonstrators across Seoul had left the protest sites, even as debate broke out among those who remained about whether to stay or go home. At Tapgol Park, the crowd had thinned considerably, while small clusters of supporters near the Constitutional Court huddled in conversation and weighed their options. Hundreds of Yoon's supporters in front of the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan, just across the street from the presidential office, began dispersing by noon. A woman in her 60s, who requested anonymity, said with visible frustration, "I've been coming out here for four months now, rain or snow. I'm about ready to pass out." Accusing the media of bias, she added,"I don't accept this ruling, but I'll keep showing up at protests. This isn't a country our kids can live in anymore." In a symbolic gesture marking the end of Yoon's presidency, government officials lowered the flag bearing the presidential emblem — the image of two phoenixes rising over Korea's national flower — from the presidential office building in Yongsan. The Korea Herald reporters Kim Jae-heun, Park Yuna, Jie Ye-eun, Park Jun-hee, Lee Si-jin, Hwang Dong-hee, Lee Jung-joo and No Kyung-min contributed to this report.
Korea Herald
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Hearts2Hearts debut with aim to continue SM Entertainment's legacy
Rookie girl group looks to Girls' Generation as role model SM Entertainment's new girl group Hearts2Hearts made their debut Monday, vowing to continue the legacy of the K-pop powerhouse and establish themselves as the future of the company. 'We will carry on the heritage built by our seniors at SM Entertainment and become 'The Future' of SM,' member Ian said during the group's debut showcase in Seoul. Hearts2Hearts mark SM Entertainment's first new girl group since aespa in 2020 and the company's first large-number girl group in 18 years since Girls' Generation. The multinational act consists of eight members -- Jiwoo, Carmen, Yuha, Stella, Juun, A-na, Ian and Ye-on. Given their structure, the group looks to Girls' Generation as their primary role model rather than their more recent SM predecessors, aespa or Red Velvet. 'Just like how Girls' Generation created a synergy by bringing together members with different charms, we will also create a unique dynamic with our individuality,' Jiwoo said. Carmen, SM's first-ever Indonesian idol, shared her connection to the Girls' Generation. 'I've loved singing since I was young, and when I saw Girls' Generation perform 'The Boys' on TV, I was amazed. I wanted to be like them, so I auditioned, got in, and now I'm debuting at SM. It's such an honor,' Carmen said. Hearts2Hearts unveiled their debut physical single 'The Chase' and performed the title track of the same name at Monday's showcase. "The Chase," with a dreamlike soundscape and an intense bass synth, carries a bold message about forging one's own path. The song was written by Kenzie, the producer behind Girls' Generation's 'Into the New World' and f(x)'s 'La Cha Ta,' while British R&B girl group FLO contributed to the music production. 'It has a mysterious sound, almost as if it's pulling you into another world,' Carmen said. 'There were several contenders for our title track, but this song's unique vibe best fits Hearts2Hearts' musical identity,' Ian added. The group also introduced the B-side track 'Butterflies,' a mid-tempo R&B song with warm melodies and sentimental lyrics. 'It compares our journey toward our dreams to butterflies flying toward flowers. It also showcases our vocal harmonies,' Ye-on said. 'It's a song about longing and anticipation, and we poured our hearts into recording it,' A-na added. As the first SM girl group to debut in the company's 30th anniversary year, Hearts2Hearts acknowledged the significance of their launch. 'Just debuting itself is an incredible joy, but doing so in such a special year for SM makes it even more meaningful,' Ian said. Looking ahead, the group has set its sights on winning rookie of the year in 2025. 'It's a once-in-a-lifetime award, and we really hope to win it. We also dream of getting our first music show win,' Juun said. Yeon echoed the ambition, saying, 'We want to be remembered as the best rookie of 2025. We hope to make next year the year of Hearts2Hearts.'
