A recent rally in front of South Korea’s National Assembly in Seoul, calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, was notably led by women in their 20s and 30s. Approximately one in three participants was a woman from this age group. This shift in demographics introduced new elements to the protest scene: light sticks replaced traditional candles, and K-pop songs were chanted instead of folk anthems.
On Dec. 15, The Chosun Daily analyzed Seoul’s living population data to estimate the size of the Dec. 7 rally. Collaborating with KT, the Seoul Metropolitan Government provides hourly estimates of the population in various areas, accessible on their website. By comparing the living population in Yeouido on Dec. 7 with the average for the five Saturdays in November, the number of rally participants was estimated.
The analysis indicated that the rally peaked at around 276,000 participants at 5 p.m. The event began at 3 p.m., with over 100,000 attendees by 2 p.m., surpassing 200,000 from 3 p.m. onwards. The number reached its zenith during the National Assembly’s plenary session at 5 p.m., where the impeachment motion was voted on, and remained above 100,000 until 8 p.m.
Gender and age breakdowns revealed that approximately 58.8% (162,000) of participants were women, while men accounted for 41.2% (114,000).
Women in their 20s formed the largest group, comprising 18.9% (52,000) of the crowd at 5 p.m. Including women in their 30s, who made up 10.6% (29,000), the 20s and 30s female demographic represented 29.5% of the total attendees.
In contrast, the second-largest group was men in their 50s, numbering around 38,000 (13.9%). Men in their 20s and 30s had lower participation rates, at approximately 3.0% (8,000) and 5.1% (14,000), respectively.
This contrasts sharply with the 2017 candlelight protests during the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye.
At that time, men constituted 64% of participants, with women at 36%. Women in their 20s and 30s accounted for only 9.6% of attendees, fewer than their male counterparts at 12.5%. The largest group then was men in their 40s, now in their 50s, making up 16.9% of the protesters.
Prior to the Dec. 3 martial law declaration, women in their 20s and 30s were already among the least supportive demographics of President Yoon.
A November survey by Gallup Korea showed that only 5% of women in their 20s and 9% in their 30s believed President Yoon was performing his duties well. Among men, the lowest approval was in the 40s age group at 7%, with 10% in their 20s and 15% in their 30s expressing approval.
The significant presence of young women at the National Assembly protests suggests a growing political engagement, potentially influenced by global movements like #MeToo and domestic debates over issues such as the proposed abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family under the Yoon administration.
