The Candlelight Impeachment

From October 2016 to March 2017, over 17 million South Koreans participated in weekly candlelight vigils demanding President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment for corruption—the largest protests in Korean history. The peaceful demonstrations successfully removed a sitting president, demonstrating mature democratic accountability and citizens’ power to enforce constitutional standards.

The scandal centered on Park’s relationship with Choi Soon-sil, a secretive advisor with no government position who wielded extraordinary influence, accessing classified information and extorting $70 million from chaebols (conglomerates like Samsung) for her foundations. Revelations that Choi edited presidential speeches and controlled appointments while Park allegedly performed shamanistic rituals shocked the nation.

Every Saturday, hundreds of thousands gathered in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square holding candles, singing, and peacefully demanding Park’s removal. Protests spread to 100+ cities, uniting across age, class, and political divides. The disciplined nonviolence—protesters cleaned streets after demonstrations, avoided violence despite provocations—showcased civic maturity.

On December 9, Parliament voted 234-56 to impeach Park. On March 10, 2017, the Constitutional Court unanimously upheld impeachment, removing Park from office—the first such removal in Korean history. She was later convicted of abuse of power and bribery, sentenced to 25 years prison (later reduced/pardoned).

Moon Jae-in, a progressive, won the May 2017 election in a landslide. The Candlelight Revolution demonstrated South Korea’s vibrant democratic culture and set precedents for peaceful mass mobilization forcing elite accountability.

Sources:
The Guardian, BBC Korea, Korea Herald, Yonhap, The New York Times