Memes, Jokes and Cats: South Koreans Use Parody for Political Protest

As South Koreans took to the streets this month demanding the ousting of their president, some discovered an surprising outlet to precise their fury: jokes and satire.

They hoisted banners and flags with whimsical messages about cats, sea otters and meals. They waved indicators joking that President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial regulation had pressured them to go away the consolation of their beds. Photos of the flags unfold extensively on social media.

The thought was to make use of humor to construct solidarity towards Mr. Yoon, who has vowed to combat his impeachment over his ill-fated martial regulation decree on Dec. 3. Some waved flags for nonexistent teams just like the so-called Dumpling Affiliation, a parody of actual teams like labor unions, church buildings or scholar golf equipment.

“I simply needed to indicate that we had been right here as a part of the individuals even when we aren’t truly part of a civic group,” mentioned Kim Sae-rim, 28, who waved the flag of the dumpling group at a latest protest she went to with pals. Some teams referred to different native favorites like pizza and purple bean pastries.

Kwon Oh-hyouck, a veteran protester, mentioned that he had first seen such flags emerge throughout demonstrations in 2016 and 2017 that finally resulted within the elimination of President Park Geun-hye. Mr. Kwon mentioned that satire was a part of the Korean spirit of protest.

“Individuals satirize severe conditions, even when these in energy come out with weapons and knives,” he mentioned. “They aren’t intimidated.”

Up to now month, protesters have give you a variety of unorthodox groupings. Some had been self-proclaimed homebodies. Nonetheless others got here collectively as individuals who suffered from movement illness.

Lee Kihoon, a professor of contemporary Korean historical past at Yonsei College in Seoul, mentioned that he believed the flags at this month’s protests had been an expression of the range of individuals galvanized by the president’s try to impose army rule.

“They’re attempting to say: ‘Even for these of us who don’t have anything to do with political teams, this case is unacceptable,’” he mentioned. “‘I’m not a member of a celebration or something, however that is outrageous.’”

Some held indicators ridiculing Mr. Yoon, saying that he had separated them from their pets at house and disrupted their routine of watching Korean dramas. One group referred to as itself a union of individuals operating not on time, referring to the concept that the necessity to protest over martial regulation had pressured them to reschedule their appointments.

And naturally, there have been animals, each actual and pretend.

South Koreans have proven that protests for severe causes — just like the ousting of a president — can nonetheless have an inviting, optimistic and carnival-like ambiance.

“I don’t know if the protesters notice it, however despite the fact that they’re offended, they haven’t gotten solemn, heavy or moralistic,” Mr. Lee mentioned. “The flags have had an impact of softening and stress-free the strain.”

On the day that lawmakers voted to question Mr. Yoon, protesters who had been Ok-pop followers introduced lightsticks to rallies and danced to pop songs blasting from audio system. “Regardless that this can be a severe day,” mentioned Lee Jung-min, a 31-year-old fan of the band Massive Bang, “we’d as nicely get pleasure from it and preserve spirits up.”