hankyoreh

Members of youth groups hold placards that read “Looking for Democracy” as they face off with members of conservative groups

On the afternoon of Dec. 17, a cluster of teenagers were standing in front of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts at Gwanghwamun Square holding placards that said “Lock up Park Geun-hye.” They were separated by a line of riot police from middle-aged women carrying the South Korean flag along with signs that said, “Overturn the impeachment.”

The hundred or so teenagers demonstrating in front of the Sejong Center had a hard time because of the anti-impeachment assembly by far-right groups such as Moms Brigade. “We gave those kids an education, and now they’re ruining things for their own parents!” shouted elderly protesters as they scolded the youngsters. “How did such cute kids get contaminated by socialism?” The police were busy attempting to talk down and push back older protesters intent on starting trouble by crossing the police line to where the teenagers were protesting.

Teenagers who have attended the demonstrations over the past eight weeks have had to contend not only with Park’s administration but also with the elderly. Old people would not get away with talking down to adults, but many of them shook their fingers at teenagers and shouted demeaning phrases at them.

“We didn’t make this kind of world. We came out to change the world that old people have made the way it is, so it doesn’t make sense for them to tell us to put our heads on straight,” said Choi Mi-na, 18, a third-year high school student who was watching the confrontation.

Teenagers were keenly aware that they had changed the world through the eight weeks of candlelight rallies. “Teenagers can come on their own, but by gathering together as teenagers I feel like we‘ve shown people that we have a will, too,” said Bae Yu-rim, 16.

“Most of them were my age, so it was great for us to focus on talking about the unfair university admission of Jung Yu-ra and about educational reform. At first, I joined the protests out of frustration, but since the National Assembly passed the motion of impeachment, I feel like I’m attending a party,” said Park Yeol, 16, a first-year student in high school who came from Gunsan, North Jeolla Province.

outside the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in central Seoul

During the demonstration, teenagers announced to the world that they were launching a group called the National Teenager Revolution. The group combines the Middle and High School Student Alliance and the Middle and High School Student Revolution, two groups that formed on social media after the candlelight rallies began. The group has more than 1,000 members.

The statement that the National Teenager Revolution released to the press expressly declared that they would “neither compromise nor cooperate with any adult group whatsoever” and that would “not accept any guidance or help from any adults.”

Backed by their confidence from the candlelight demonstrations, the group is planning to continue its campaign to bring the vote to more teenagers. Their goal is to lower the minimum voting age for South Korean citizens from 19 years old to 18 years old.

“We’re the generation of the future, and our view is that we can’t leave things to adults as they are right now,” said Yuk Gyeong-su, 17. During the demonstration on Dec. 17, the teenagers chanted, “We’re going to win anyway!”

By Park Su-ji, staff reporter

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