South Korean protesters see hopes of impeachment fading.

As pulsating music blared from speakers outside Seoul’s National Assembly, protesters cheered and waved colorful light sticks.

“Impeach Yoon Suk-yeol! Arrest Yoon Sik-yeol!” he shouted.

The mood was festive, but the crowd was there for a serious purpose – to get rid of the country’s president. Police estimated the crowd at around 100,000.

On Saturday morning, four days after Yun’s failed attempt to declare martial law, the president appeared on television again. This time He had to apologize to the nation.Hours before the impeachment vote.

But his My Kalpa did nothing to satisfy the masses. As lawmakers began moving into the National Assembly, various protest rallies broke out in Seoul. While a few were supportive of the militant president, most were calling for him to step down or be impeached.

By three o’clock in the afternoon, most of the protesters had gathered in front of the National Assembly. The main road was packed with people sitting in neat queues, as police officers lined the road. Protest flags fluttered in the chilly winter air, while vendors in side streets sold waffles and pastries filled with red bean paste to hungry protesters.

With rock bands, big screens and crane cameras, South Korean protest rallies resemble outdoor music festivals, and this one was no different. During the afternoon, the crowd was entertained with upbeat acapella tunes, soulful folk songs, and protest anthems.

The crowd sang “South Korea is a democratic republic” – a catchy children’s song extolling the virtues of democracy. the stirring “March Song for You”; And even a Korean version of “Do You Hear the People Sing” from the musical Les Miserables.

There were also fiery speeches. “We must purge the traitors! If the impeachment vote fails, all 1.5 million members of our union will run straight to the president’s office,” vowed one union leader.

“Traitors will be judged by the sharp blade of the people!”

“Impeachment! Impeachment!” The crowd chanted back.

But as the winter light faded into night, so did the protesters’ hopes.

When it came time to vote on the impeachment bill, the ruling People’s Power Party (PPP) announced a boycott, blocking the opposition, which lacked just eight votes to pass the bill.

Almost every PPP legislator got up from their seats and walked out of the House, while opposition members raised noise and tried to stop them from leaving.

Watching these chaotic actions on screens outside, many protesters were shocked.

“The freedom of democracy is being lost because of just one man. It’s killing me,” lamented an office worker participating in the protest.

“I think the legislators are irresponsible”, said one woman.

She left her home at 5 a.m. and traveled hours to Seoul to participate in the protest. “I’ve been waiting for it all day. I hope they go back and vote. I’m trying to be optimistic but I don’t expect it to happen.”

Others were angry. “I think you are a complete disrespect for democracy in this country. And the legislators, they should represent the people, not the president… We are very worried,” said one male activist.

“We will not back down until he is impeached… We will continue until our democracy triumphs over this insanity of this crazy president.”

On stage, protest leaders called on the crowd to surround the National Assembly, hoping to get enough PPP members to vote for impeachment by blocking the gates and trapping PPP lawmakers inside. It can buy the opposition enough time to convince them.

The crowd quickly moved towards the door. As protest leaders read out the names of each PPP lawmaker, protesters chanted “Go back, vote!” After each name

The mood rose as PPP member Kim Sang-wook re-entered the chamber to vote, joining two others from his own party who had stayed on. Hope rippled through the crowd.

The organizers blasted K-pop, and the crowd started dancing, singing and waving light sticks. In the distance, some Mexican waved the girls’ generation song. Suddenly, the protest turned into a joyful pop concert.

The mood was upbeat for a while. The protesters believed that more people than the ruling party would reach the 1 am deadline.

But there were ominous signs within it too. Kim told reporters that he had actually voted against impeachment. And for hours no one else joined the PPP.

Finally, around 9 p.m., the Speaker said he would close the vote early. Instantly, the festive mood evaporated. The impeachment bill needed just five more votes to move forward, but they were nowhere to be seen — and time was running out.

The crowd pressed closer to the door. “Get in, get in!” He pleaded, urging PPP lawmakers to re-enter the chamber to vote.

At 9:20 PM, the Speaker ended the voting. The crowd fell silent as they watched parliamentary officials sifting through the ballots. Some let out sighs of frustration, while others shouted angrily at the screens. The usual chant of “impeachment, impeachment” floated in the air, but it seemed to have lost its force.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Speaker announced that the bill had not passed. It did not meet the quorum of 200 votes for counting. A woman in the crowd screamed in pain and buried her face in her boyfriend’s chest, crying.

The protest leaders this time came on stage to raise the spirits of the people. One speaker vowed that we will not stop until Yoon is punished. People will not accept the existence of PPP. We will fight to the end until Yun is impeached. “Dear people, will you join us in our fight to remove Yun?”

The crowd roared loudly: “Yes!”

Meanwhile, inside the National Assembly, opposition leaders vowed to repeatedly table the impeachment bill until they got rid of Yoon. With him are the people: Three-quarters of South Koreans want impeachment, according to the latest polls, while Yoon’s approval rating has fallen even further to just 13 percent.

In an attempt to end on a high note, protest leaders played All I Want for Christmas as a send-off. “Don’t forget your luggage, and please take your trash with you,” he urged the dispersing crowd, as Mariah Carey’s voice echoed through the rapidly emptying aisle.

It won’t be long before that road fills up again. Another round of protests has already been scheduled for Sunday.

Additional reporting by Jack Cowan.