The divide between the pro and anti-Yoon sides in South Korea is continuing to deepen:
About two dozen students, alumni and others gathered at Ewha Womans University in Seoul last week, denouncing the National Assembly’s impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol as “invalid,” only to encounter another group of students holding an in-school rally calling for Yoon’s ouster at the same time.
The encounter quickly escalated into violence as dozens of pro-Yoon YouTubers and activists broke into the campus to join forces, along with an opposing group of anti-Yoon student activists, despite the female-only university’s ban on outsiders entering the campus for any rally.
Insults were hurled between the opposing groups, while some tugged at others before the scene was brought to an end only after university officials and police personnel were mobilized.
You can read more at the link.
Rally against Yoon’s impeachment
Citizens hold a rally against the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol near Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Jan. 11, 2025. (Yonhap)
Hersheys seems to having a bump in sales in South Korea due to the current political turmoil:
Hershey’s Kisses, a staple product of global chocolate company Hershey, have traditionally struggled to shine in South Korea despite their popularity abroad. Often seen as a “filler product” in convenience stores and supermarkets, they typically experience modest sales even on Valentine’s Day. However, a recent event has given the chocolate a surprising moment in the spotlight.
According to a report by a major convenience store chain on Monday, sales of Hershey’s Kisses at its stores nationwide increased by 8.4 percent compared to the previous week.
The company noted that this spike is unusual for Hershey’s Kisses, which typically see steady but unremarkable demand. The unexpected surge is attributed to a viral moment involving a protest group nicknamed the “Kisses Protesters.”
On Jan. 5, protesters gathered in front of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul, calling for his arrest.
The group earned the nickname “Kisses Protesters” due to their appearance — many participants wrapped themselves in silver foil thermal blankets to endure the freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall. The blankets resembled the silver foil wrapping of Hershey’s Kisses, sparking the nickname.
You can read more at the link.
These protesters have no creditability considering they are not protesting similar waste water dumping South Korea and far worse in China. This is strictly just another anti-Japanese protest for political reasons:
 |
| Activists stage a protest in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, Tuesday, urging the Japanese government to revoke its decision to start releasing treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, Thursday. Yonhap |
Korea’s main opposition party and civic groups have pledged to hold an all-out protest against Japan’s announcement, Tuesday, to release treated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean starting Thursday.
Korea Times
The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) denounced Japan’s decision by staging rallies at the National Assembly and in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to condemn the decision.
“Japan made the vicious decision to discharge contaminated water into the ocean, which belongs to all humans, without scientific proof, understanding from neighboring countries or agreement by the Japanese people,” DPK Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung said.
You can read more at the link.
I have always suspected that many agitators and protesters are knowingly or unknowingly paid off by Chinese and Russian operatives to cause racial discontent in the U.S. and now we know in at least this case it is happening:
As they pumped their fists in the air and held signs declaring “Peace 4 All” and “Stop the Violence,” a small group of Americans that gathered in downtown Washington last summer was nearly indistinguishable from the thousands of others who gather in the nation’s capital every year to protest.
But there was a striking difference: The protest was likely funded by pro-Beijing operatives as part of a plan that is aimed at undermining American democracy and promoting China’s economic interests, researchers from Mandiant, a cybersecurity firm owned by Google reported this week.
Mandiant’s report suggests the pro-Beijing group paid an American to arrange the protest – a 24-year-old musician and entrepreneur from Baltimore – who told CNN in an exclusive interview that he didn’t know the organization could be a Shanghai-based public relations firm promoting the Chinese government’s interests.
CNN
You can read more at the link, but even if you look at it at the macro-level entire organizations are paid off by the Chinese. For example the NBA will say nothing about human rights issues in China which are far worse than anything going on in the U.S. They do this simply to maintain television viewership in China which brings in revenue to the league.
It appears the pro-US-ROK alliance activists greatly outnumbered the anti-US protesters last week outside of Camp Humphreys:
Thousands of demonstrators converged outside Camp Humphreys on the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, prompting a response by hundreds of police officers and snarling traffic on the U.S. Army installation.
Activists — some opposed to the U.S. presence on the Korean Peninsula, some in full-throated support — arrived in dozens of buses throughout Thursday, some coming from as far as Busan, about 150 miles south of the U.S. base in Pyeongtaek.
The atmosphere outside the gates resembled a music festival: Whistles, chants and techno music blared from speakers mounted on parked cars as delivery trucks hauled digital billboards scrolling “Support U.S. alliance” slowly past the crowd.
Around 8,000 people gathered near at least two of the base’s six gates, the largest assembly in the area since South Korea ended COVID-19 social distancing restrictions in April 2022, according to an email Friday from Erick Crudup, operations officer for the base Directorate of Emergency Services.
Activists on both sides of the road leading to Yoon Gate — the main entrance to Humphreys — chanted “USA” while waving American and South Korean flags. U.S. service members driving past the scene honked their horns and waved in support.
Stars & Stripes
You can read more at the link, but according to the article there was only about 100 anti-US protesters present. This is in stark contrast to the massive hate filled anti-US protests that were launched when Camp Humphreys was being expanded years ago.
