Students' brushstrokes of dissent create an artistic protest against Yoon's martial law
Published: 18 Dec. 2024, 14:55
Updated: 18 Dec. 2024, 18:01
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- LEE TAE-HEE
- [email protected]
![A collage made with paper signs used by protesters during a rally calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment stands near Ewha Womans University's main gate in Seodaemun District, western Seoul, on Dec. 12. Although the piece has been taken down by artists since the National Assembly voted for Yoon's impeachment, many students have also used art to express their views. [LEE TAE-HEE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/12/18/e359a91e-843a-475c-b4e2-d1c0f7ac5dbb.jpg)
A collage made with paper signs used by protesters during a rally calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment stands near Ewha Womans University's main gate in Seodaemun District, western Seoul, on Dec. 12. Although the piece has been taken down by artists since the National Assembly voted for Yoon's impeachment, many students have also used art to express their views. [LEE TAE-HEE]
Art can be a powerful medium for social criticism, as demonstrated by university students using creative expression to denounce President Yoon Suk Yeol amid the political turmoil surrounding martial law.
Over the past two weeks since Yoon declared martial law and was impeached, university campuses have been alive with students making their voices heard. Handwritten posters and public speeches — traditional tools of student activism — have been widely used to condemn Yoon. However, some students have also turned to art to express their dissent.
At Ewha Womans University, a 145.5-centimeter (4.8-foot) tall and 97-centimeter wide collage resembling Yoon's face was displayed near the main gate in Seodaemun District, western Seoul, for about a week. The piece was crafted from paper signs discarded by rally-goers during the Dec. 4 protest in Yeouido, central Seoul, after the first impeachment motion against Yoon failed to pass.
The artwork was created by five students from the university's College of Art & Design — Kim Soo-bin, Kwon Da-hyeon, Seok Ji-woo, Shin Kyung-min and Yoon Jeong-won. Despite their busy finals period, the group worked mostly at night and completed the piece in three days.
The piece was briefly taken indoors on Dec. 13 when snow was forecast overnight, but the students happily dismantled it after the National Assembly successfully voted for Yoon's impeachment on Dec. 14.
"We were considering writing a traditional handwritten poster if the first impeachment motion didn’t pass," said Seok Ji-woo. "But then we asked ourselves if there was a type of poster that only art students could create. One of us suggested making a piece using the protest signs, and we decided to collaborate on the idea."
Four of the five students had attended the Dec. 4 rally in Yeouido, collecting discarded protest signs after the motion failed. They returned to campus that evening to brainstorm their approach.
"We were very clear about making a collage that directly resembled Yoon Suk Yeol's face," Seok said. "Since the piece addresses a social issue, we felt it should convey a straightforward and impactful message, unlike personal artworks that often use metaphor."
The collage received widespread positive feedback from students, with many leaving supportive notes on the pedestal beside the artwork, expressing agreement with the call for impeachment.
![A documentary produced by Min Sung-wook, a Seoul National University student [SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/12/18/2493b957-e2ce-4736-b615-254d2d9ce3c9.jpg)
A documentary produced by Min Sung-wook, a Seoul National University student [SCREEN CAPTURE]
Other students used video to channel their dissent. Min Sung-wook, a student at Seoul National University (SNU), produced a documentary titled “To Yoon Suk Yeol, From Seoul National University Students.”
Min, who shares the same alma mater as Yoon — an SNU graduate with a bachelor’s and master’s in law — interviewed 10 SNU students, asking what they would say to the president.
In the director’s statement, Min said he aimed "to amplify the voices of outraged alumni for the public to hear."
The interviewees called on Yoon to step down, expressing shame that he was an alumnus. Many also criticized People Power Party lawmakers who walked out during the first impeachment vote.
The documentary was uploaded to YouTube on Dec. 14, with two versions available. As of Wednesday, the main documentary had garnered more than 2,400 views, while an unedited version of the interviews had reached 2,000 views.
Meanwhile, Park Min-ji, a student at the Seoul Institute of the Arts, turned to poetry. During a student rally in Yeouido on Dec. 14, she took the stage to recite a poem she wrote. While most students gave speeches, Park, a creative writing major, chose literature to make her statement.
“That is what literature is supposed to do,” she said.
BY LEE TAE-HEE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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