South Korean protesters offered prepaid coffees, snacks as support poured in from far away
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Demonstrators rally outside South Korea's National Assembly in Seoul on Dec 6.
PHOTO: NYTIMES
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SEOUL – Participants at rallies against South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol near the National Assembly on Dec 7 were provided with coffee, snacks and meals paid for by supporters.
Some restaurants and cafes near the protest sites were flooded with pre-orders from citizens who paid for food and drinks for unknown protesters.
Pictures showing proof of pre-payments made at restaurants, cafes and bakeries near the parliament building, as well as Gwanghwamun Square, where tens of thousands of people gathered to hold candlelight vigils
One X user wrote: “For those attending the rally in front of the National Assembly, I’ve prepaid 60 bowls of sundae-guk (blood sausage soup) and 30 bowls of mandu-guk (dumpling soup). They will be available from 2pm on Dec 7 until supplies run out.” The post included the user’s name and a map to the restaurant.
Another user, who paid in advance for 100 hot Americanos for those attending the rally in Gwanghwamun Square on Dec 7, wrote: “I can’t attend the rally today due to personal circumstances, so I’ve ordered coffee to encourage the protesters. Please pick one up under my name.”
Some taxi drivers gave rides to protesters for free as a gesture of support.
An online post read: “A taxi driver dropped me off in front of the National Assembly and then cancelled my automatic payment two minutes later.” The post was accompanied by a screen capture from the writer’s banking app.
As of 4.30pm, an estimated 107,000 people were gathered in front of the National Assembly in protest of Mr Yoon’s martial law declaration, according to police.
Despite near-freezing temperatures, citizens attended the rallies, holding placards with slogans such as “Impeach Yoon Suk Yeol for Treason”.
Approximately 100 riot squads and 230 traffic officers were deployed in the Yeouido district. Seoul Metro Line 9 decided to bypass Yeouido Station and National Assembly Station over concerns about the large crowd. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
