On December 3, 2025, the streets of Seoul pulsed with energy and memory as thousands gathered outside the National Assembly, marking the first anniversary of what many now call South Korea’s “revolution of light.” It was a day of reckoning and remembrance, commemorating the failed martial law attempt by former President Yoon Suk-yeol on December 3, 2024—a moment that nearly upended the nation’s hard-won democracy, but ultimately showcased the power of peaceful public resistance.
The demonstration, which drew an estimated 11,000 people according to police, was a vivid tableau of civic engagement: protestors braved the winter cold, waving placards that called for social reform and accountability, while others illuminated the night with K-pop light sticks. The rally, hosted by progressive civic groups, was more than a remembrance; it was a celebration of the citizens who, just a year prior, stood unarmed against the threat of military rule and prevailed.
President Lee Jae Myung, who had been the opposition leader during the crisis, addressed the nation in a televised speech from the Yongsan presidential office—the very location where Yoon had announced his ill-fated martial law declaration. Lee’s words were both a tribute and a call to action. “The Dec. 3 coup d’état served as an opportunity to demonstrate to the world the high level of civic consciousness of our people and the remarkable resilience of Korean democracy,” Lee said, as reported by Korea JoongAng Daily. He described the public’s resistance as a “revolution of light,” a phrase he repeated throughout his address, underscoring the peaceful and determined nature of the movement.
Lee didn’t mince words about the gravity of the events. “This was the first time in the 21st century that a coup d’état occurred in a democratic country comparable to South Korea,” he noted, adding that it was also the first time such an attempt was “peacefully and beautifully rebuffed by the unarmed people.” In his view, the Korean people’s actions were so extraordinary that they “are truly worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize for peacefully overcoming an unprecedented crisis.”
The president’s remarks were not just retrospective. Lee called for ongoing truth-finding and strict accountability for those responsible for the martial law attempt. “Strict punishment of those involved in the coup will be just the beginning,” Lee declared, according to The Korea Herald. “The atrocities of destroying the constitutional order and even plotting a war for personal ambition must be brought to justice.” Yet, Lee also emphasized the need for a balanced approach: “If they deeply reflect, and there’s no room for recurrence, we should forgive and reconcile. However, if we hide it and cover it up, it will happen again.”
Lee’s vision for commemoration was clear. He proposed designating December 3 as “National Sovereignty Day” or “People’s Sovereignty Day”—a move intended to honor the courage and actions of the people who, through peaceful assembly and resolve, overturned martial law and preserved democracy. “While the National Assembly exercised its power to nullify martial law, the real power to do so came from the people,” Lee emphasized during a news conference at Cheong Wa Dae, the former presidential compound.
The events of December 3, 2024, unfolded rapidly. Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law at 10:20 p.m., but within three hours, the National Assembly—spurred by public outcry and the presence of lawmakers like Lee, who livestreamed his dramatic entrance to the building—voted to lift the order. Yoon officially revoked martial law six hours after its declaration, was impeached within two weeks, and formally removed from office four months later. The nation elected a new president—Lee—within six months, a testament to the resilience and swiftness of South Korea’s democratic institutions.
According to ABC News, the Democratic Party marked the anniversary by advancing dozens of bills related to the failed martial law attempt, including legislation to officially designate December 3 as Democracy Movement Memorial Day. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, who had led the motions to repeal the order and impeach Yoon, guided a symbolic “dark tour” of key locations from the night of the coup attempt, including the very lawn where troops landed and the wall he had climbed to enter the building.
In a gesture of reconciliation, the conservative People Power Party issued apologies for their role—or lack of participation—in the impeachment proceedings. Party leader Song Eon-seog apologized on behalf of 107 lawmakers who had either supported or abstained from last year’s critical votes. A group of 25 first- and second-term lawmakers went further, pledging to sever ties with Yoon. The party initially boycotted the first impeachment vote, blocking the measure, but a second vote passed a week later with more than two-thirds support.
Jungkun Seo, a professor at Seoul’s Kyung Hee University, told ABC News, “Yoon’s failed martial law attempt shows how erratic leadership can throw a country into turmoil. But parliament lifted martial law, Yoon was detained, tried, impeached, and the country elected a new president — all in only six months. This demonstrated to the international community that South Korea’s democracy is rock solid.”
Both liberal and conservative civic groups held rallies on the anniversary. While liberal groups called for social reform and a reckoning over the martial law imposition, conservative groups defended Yoon, who maintained that the martial law was necessary to eradicate “antistate forces.” President Lee had planned to join a march with liberal protesters but withdrew at the last minute due to security concerns, according to the presidential office.
Later that day, Lee hosted a luncheon at the Yongsan presidential office with leaders from the legislative, judiciary, and administrative branches—including Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-de, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, Constitutional Court President Kim Sang-hwan, and National Election Commission Chair Rho Tae-ak—to commemorate the democratic movements that overcame the martial law crisis. During the luncheon, Woo presented Lee with a commemorative plaque crafted from wooden debris collected from the National Assembly building after martial law was lifted—a poignant symbol of resilience and renewal.
Lee’s message to the world was clear and hopeful. “I hope that South Korean citizens’ beautiful and peaceful revolution and its restoration of democracy will become an example in world history,” he said, extending gratitude and encouragement to people and leaders globally who are fighting for democracy. He pointed to South Korea’s modern history, marked by repeated popular uprisings—from the 1980 Gwangju Uprising to the 2016 candlelight vigils that ousted President Park Geun-hye—as evidence of a unique civic spirit: “not turning a blind eye to someone else’s business and taking direct actions in a peaceful manner.”
As investigations and trials of those involved in the martial law imposition continue, South Korea stands at a crossroads—seeking justice, but also reconciliation. The events of December 3, 2024, and their aftermath have not only reaffirmed the nation’s democratic foundations but have also offered a beacon of hope to democracies around the world. The story of South Korea’s revolution of light is far from over, but its lessons already shine brightly.
