A Wolf Has Appeared
A New Year for the Brave and Defiant
안녕! It’s Ari, your protester-mode-on Korean friend and New Year reminder. 🥳 This week’s newsletter is my New Year’s wish for all the wolves, witches, mobs, and heretics out there, plus a guide on how to say Happy New Year in Korean. Let’s dive in!
A Wolf Has Appeared
Early in the morning, a poor woman,
Holding the corpse of her child who starved to death,
Walks through the poor neighborhood, weeping.
(A witch has appeared.)
When the people learned that the rich had bought up all the good bread,
They picked up sticks and rakes,
And knocked on the gates of the castle.
(A mob has appeared.)
The hungry gathered beans from the fields,
Ate them all,
And raided the granaries of the rich.
(A wolf has appeared.)
Those polite people who worked, worried, labored, and wept bitterly,
Who couldn’t laugh deeply from their hearts,
Finally began to run.
(A heretic has appeared.)
The gates of the city were tightly locked,
And outside the gates stood the people.
(A witch has appeared.)
The gates of the city were tightly locked,
And outside the gates stood the people.
(A mob has appeared.)
My friends are all poor.
Think about this poverty.
(A wolf has appeared.)
It will soon become your problem.
This land needs a shock.
My friends are all poor.
Think about this poverty.
It will soon become your problem.
This land needs a shock.
(A mob has appeared.)
We are not worthless people.
We are merely the ones who make the bread you eat,
Who crush the grapes and live on their dregs.
But I will not let my child starve to death.
A witch has appeared.
A mob has appeared.
A heretic has appeared.
A wolf has appeared.
The above are the lyrics of a South Korean folk song, There’s a Wolf, sung by Lee Lang. The lyrics draw parallels between the medieval era and contemporary society, shedding light on the plight of marginalized individuals who are vilified simply for standing up for their survival. The song gained fame after being censored by the government in 2022, as officials stupidly interpreted the word “wolf” in the lyrics as a reference to President Yoon Seok-yeol. 🙃
When the song was performed grandly in front of over 2 million protesters gathered at the National Assembly 👆 (the song starts at 01:40) on the day of the second impeachment vote against President Yoon, no one could have imagined that the lyrics would come to life just seven days later.
A Witch Has Appeared
On Saturday, December 21st, around 100 farmers arrived at Nam Tae-ryeong, the border between Gyeonggi Province and Seoul, to protest and demand the immediate arrest of Yoon Seok-yeol. Yoon had recently attempted a self-coup and had vetoed the Grain Management Act—a law designed to stabilize rice prices and protect the livelihoods of struggling farmers.
The farmers planned a peaceful protest, driving their 17 tractors near the president’s residence to express their frustrations. Although their protest had been approved by the courts to avoid any legal disputes, the Seoul city police blocked their entry into the city with barricades of police cars and buses. The police used violent force against the farmers, dragging them out of their tractors and smashing tractor windows. Videos of the chaos quickly spread like wildfire on social networks.
A Mob Has Appeared
The videos went viral, especially within online K-pop fan communities. Young women in their 20s holding light sticks were among the first responders. The farmers, mostly older men in their 60s, were shocked to see so many young girls arriving to support them and even staying to the very end of the protest.
As the night deepened and the temperature dropped to -6°C (21°F), the number of protesters at the scene continued to grow. They feared that if they left, the police would violently arrest the farmers. So they stayed all night with the farmers and their tractors in the freezing cold to protect them. As is typical of South Korean protests, a small stage was set up, where protesters gave speeches, sang songs, and even danced to warm their freezing bodies.
The crowd of thousands chanted, “Open the gate! Open the gate!” all night long, demanding that the police allow the farmers to enter Seoul. Despite their resilience, the freezing temperature took its toll, with a few people being taken away by ambulance for hypothermia.
A Heretic Has Appeared
YouTubers were also among the first to respond. South Korea has many YouTubers who live stream protests, and they quickly arrived at the scene, broadcasting the protest to hundreds of thousands of viewers. Seeing the young protesters enduring the freezing cold outdoors, viewers began sending food, coffee, hot pads, cookies, and doughnuts to support them. Food trucks arrived, serving chicken skewers and hot fish cakes. Heated buses provided warm shelters for the protesters, and a medical support bus staffed with volunteer nurses offered help to anyone in need. Volunteer lawyers also arrived to provide legal aid in case of arrests or clashes with the police.
Lawmakers from the Democratic Party who had been vilified as “anti-state force” by President Yoon joined as well, negotiating with the police to open the gate. Despite the police’s initial resistance, their resolve began to waver under the mounting public and political pressure.
The Battle of Nam Tae-ryeong
After 28 hours of relentless protesting, the police finally gave in. They pulled back their cars, opening the way into the capital city. Following negotiations between lawmakers and the police, 10 tractors were allowed to proceed. By the time they arrived near the president’s residence, over 10,000 people had gathered to welcome the farmers and their tractors, continuing their protest against the president. It was a rare festive moment amid the ongoing civil unrest in the country.
People online have dubbed this event “The Battle of Nam Tae-ryeong,” declaring that the people had won this battle. The victory of the united forces of “witches,” “wolves,” “mobs,” and “heretics” may be small, but it will be remembered. However, the war against the wannabe dictator, along with his followers, is far from over.
Now that the National Assembly has passed the impeachment vote, the focus shifts to the Constitutional Court, which holds the final say on the matter. With the country’s future resting in the hands of a handful of judges, the outlook remains uncertain, as some are known to support the suspended president, who has vowed to return to office. Meanwhile, the investigation into the president’s actions faces significant obstacles due to his enduring influence over prosecutors, the police, and even the judiciary. This afternoon, efforts to enforce an arrest warrant for the president were suspended after a five-hour standoff.
All Koreans can do now is take to the streets, hoping their worst nightmare never becomes a reality.
Mini Korean Lesson: Happy New Year!
When this time of year comes, what else can we learn? Happy New Year in Korean is:
새해 복 많이 받으세요.
This sentence is pronounced as: Saehae bok mani badeuseyo. I know what you’re thinking: Why does it have to be so long and difficult? Well, it’s because this sentence literally means, “Please receive a lot of luck for the new year.”
Although I translated 복 (bok) in the sentence as “luck” in English, there’s a difference between the two words. While luck in English typically refers to chance events or good fortune that happens by accident, 복 (bok) in Korean has a much broader and deeper meaning. It doesn’t only imply good fortune, but also encompasses blessings, prosperity, happiness, and even virtues like health and success. It’s something people actively wish for others, a more holistic and enduring form of well-being.
So whenever you feel it’s too hard to pronounce “Happy New Year” in Korean, knowing what this sentence really means will make the pronunciation effort worth it. And from the bottom of my heart, Saehae bok mani badeuseyo! 🥳
Thanks for reading! The situation in my country continues to deteriorate, leaving me, like many other Koreans, sleep-deprived and stressed. I could barely get through the first episode of Squid Game 2 with all the news to keep up with—especially the revelation about armed undercover operatives tasked with inciting unrest to justify martial law who have yet to return, and the devastating Jeju Air plane crash that claimed over 170 lives. 🕯️ Real life feels far more unsettling than any survival game, making it hard to focus on fictional dramas.
Plz wish us luck and bok! If you’d like to support my work, consider buying me a coffee. 🥰 I hope to be back next week with good news. 안녕!
Really appreciate how you keep us up to date with the non sugar-coated realities going on in South Korea. 새해 복 많이 받으세요
제가 모든 한국사람을 응원하겠습니다. 새해 복 많이 많이 받으세요!