South Koreans organize 'Santa protest' demanding their president's resignation


Tens of thousands of South Koreans, many dressed as Santa Claus, took part in the ninth consecutive weekend of large-scale protests in Seoul on Saturday, calling for the resignation of President Park Geun-hye, who is accused of giving an old friend, Choi Soon-sil, undue influence in state affairs.
"This is a special Christmas Eve as it gives me a chance to show my children what democracy is all about," said one protester, Yoon Ki-Seung, who was there with his son and daughter. The South Korean parliament voted to impeach Park, but South Korea's constitutional court has ultimate say over whether she will be forced out of office.
Some protesters in Santa outfits gave out books and Christmas cards to kids at the march, chanting, "Gifts to children and handcuffs to Park!"
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Bonnie Kristian was a deputy editor and acting editor-in-chief of TheWeek.com. She is a columnist at Christianity Today and author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (forthcoming 2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). Her writing has also appeared at Time Magazine, CNN, USA Today, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, and The American Conservative, among other outlets.
-
What are the Abraham Accords and why are they under threat?
The Explainer The 2020 agreements would be 'undermined' if Israel annexes West Bank, UAE warns
-
Pickle-juice drinks that pack a punch
The Week Recommends Use leftover brine to make fresh lemonade and tangy margaritas
-
Crossword: September 8, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play