the K-pop song that has become the anthem of protests in South Korea

the K-pop song that has become the anthem of protests in South Korea
the K-pop song that has become the anthem of protests in South Korea

A catchy song by one of K-pop’s most famous female groups has become the anthem for thousands of South Koreans protesting for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol.

“A difficult road awaits us”, chant in unison the demonstrators, gathered daily in front of Parliament since last week, after Yoon Suk-yeol briefly imposed martial law, before reversing his decision in the face of pressure from lawmakers.

As an impeachment vote for the embattled president looms, protesters chant mocking rhymes and sing K-pop during their daily demonstrations, with one song serving as a rallying cry for his ouster: Into the New World of Girls’ Generation.

“In the face of an uncertain future and obstacles, I will not change and I will not give up,” chant the protesters, dancing to this dynamic song with hopeful lyrics. “We will get through this together, no matter how long it takes in my new world.”

What began as a protest on the campus of South Korea’s most prestigious women’s university in 2016 escalated over the school’s ties to former President Park Geun-hye’s corruption scandal, leading ultimately to Park’s spectacular impeachment the following year.

Footage that went viral showed Ewha students singing Into the New World and holding each other’s arms during a confrontation with police.

“The popular force of the song has made it an emblematic symbol of the various demonstrations since then,” said Jiyeon Kang, a Korean studies professor at the University of Iowa. She “embodies the courage to stand up to perceived injustice, even when the chances of success are slim, and the comfort of finding a supportive community,” she added.

Used as a tool of activism, Into the New World is regularly broadcast during the annual pride march in South Korea and also resonated during a rally supporting the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.

Yuri, a member of the group, said in a 2017 interview that she cried while watching the video of their song performed during the university protests. “It was a moment where I felt great pride as a singer,” she declared. Girls’ Generation, whose youngest member was 16 when they debuted in 2007, remains one of the most popular K-pop groups of all time.

For Han You-jin, a protester, the song is familiar, as she was only a year old when it was released. “Singing this song, which I have known forever, alongside so many other people from different age groups was special,” confided to the 18-year-old young woman, after singing it with thousands of people in front of Parliament.

“This reception is very different from that of 2016, when some commentators considered it inappropriate for demonstrations,” recalled Kim Ye-ji, a former student of Ewha, who remembers that it was a way for female students “to raise their voices”.

“I saw the world change with my own eyes a few years ago,” she confided, remembering her friends taken away by the authorities and “a feeling of violence” characterizing these days of demonstration, before it led to an impeachment of the president. “I believe that this time too we will be able to overcome this ordeal,” she concludes.

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