On Friday April 4 the Constitutional Court of South Korea upheld the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol for his shock declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024. The historic ruling made Yoon the third South Korean president to be impeached and the second to be removed from office. While the past few months have been marked with chaos, political division, and uncertainty, one thing that has brought hope to many locals and those watching from abroad was the resilience of the Korean people to fight for democracy. And protests have always been a key feature of that fight.
Within minutes of the martial law declaration, South Koreans mobilized to protect the National Assembly so that the declaration could be voted down. In the days and weeks that followed, massive rallies were held both there and in downtown Seoul. In place of the candles that marked past rallies, younger participants this time showed up with K-pop light sticks; traditional protest songs were played but so were recent hits like Aespa‘s “Whiplash” and, fittingly, G-Dragon‘s “Crooked.” Looking at it out of context, many scenes looked more like a block party than a protest, and the joy of the people gathering to fight was palpable — even with so much on the line.
Protest music, or minjung-gayo, predates Korea’s democratization. As Korea has changed, so has the soundtrack of resistance. From the somber but hopeful expression of Kim Min-ki‘s “Morning Dew” (1971) to the resurgence of SNSD‘s “Into the New World” (2007), popular music has found it’s place in Korean rallies — not just to keep things fun, but because these songs resonate with the people. So, to mark this historic ruling and celebrate before early elections once again drive everything back into chaos, this SB Mixtape is all about the music that has colored South Korean protests throughout the years. It’s only a small selection, but hopefully it can lift a few spirits.
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