{"id":2386576,"date":"2025-01-05T11:31:01","date_gmt":"2025-01-05T16:31:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/south-korean-protesters-adopt-us-flags-to-distinguish-sides-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-01-05T11:32:25","modified_gmt":"2025-01-05T16:32:25","slug":"south-korean-protesters-adopt-us-flags-to-distinguish-sides-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/south-korean-protesters-adopt-us-flags-to-distinguish-sides-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korean protesters adopt US flags to distinguish sides &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsouth-korean-protesters-adopt-us-flags-to-distinguish-sides-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2386576&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Recent political unrest in\u200c South Korea revolves around the controversial figure of\u200b President Yoon \u200dSuk Yeol. Following \u2062his \u200cimpeachment, his supporters have taken\u200c to the streets, prominently displaying American flags and \u200cchanting patriotic songs, such as the &#8220;Star Spangled Banner.&#8221; This\u2063 phenomenon has \u2062drawn parallels to the political climate in the United States, particularly among\u200b conservatives who seek to relate their situation with that of former President Trump, especially around the theme of election integrity. Protesters have also used slogans \u200dlike &#8220;STOP THE \u200cSTEAL,&#8221; mirroring sentiments from the saga surrounding the 2020 U.S. elections.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, opponents of Yoon have \u2062opted for a diffrent symbolic approach by waving \u200bthe Virginia state flag, known for its\u200c motto &#8220;Sic Semper Tyrannis,&#8221; wich translates \u200cto &#8220;Thus always to Tyrants.&#8221; This flag was notably displayed by the mayor\u2062 of Gwangju\u2062 amidst calls for Yoon&#8217;s arrest,indicating a deepening divide in the political landscape of\u200c South Korea. The mayor emphasized that those\u2064 who \u2063<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">abuse power ultimately face consequences<\/a>, thereby contextualizing the protests within a broader framework\u200d of\u2062 resistance against perceived tyranny. <\/p>\n<p>As the protests continue, the use of these symbols has underscored the ideological \u200brifts in South Korean society, reflecting both local and international\u200c influences in their political expression.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">South Korean protesters adopt US flags and symbolism to distinguish sides amid crisis<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1927989\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/south-korea\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"South Korean\">South Korean<\/a> protesters adopted United States symbols and slogans to signal their support in the country&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3275473\/security-rebuffs-arrest-south-korean-president-standoff-police\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"ongoing political crisis\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/brexit-trade-deal-published-as-uk-calls-for-end-to-ugly-divisions\/\" title=\"Brexit trade deal published as UK calls for end to \u2018ugly\u2019 divisions\">political crisis<\/a><\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The supporters of ousted conservative <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3274157\/impeached-south-korean-president-threatens-arrest-anyone-trying-arrest-him\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">President Yoon Suk Yeol<\/a> have found common cause with conservatives in the U.S., drawing parallels between their situation and President-elect Donald Trump&rsquo;s. On Friday, pro-Yoon protesters flew the American flag, sang the &ldquo;Star Spangled Banner,&rdquo; and held signs reading, &ldquo;STOP THE STEAL,&rdquo; a reference to Trump&rsquo;s questioning of the 2020 election results.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3251640\/intelligence-community-insiders-warn-against-tulsi-gabbard-dni\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>INTEL COMMUNITY INSIDERS WARN AGAINST TULSI GABBARD AS DNI<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attend a rally against his impeachment in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. (AP Photo\/Ahn Young-joon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On the flipside, some anti-Yoon figures resorted to an unorthodox choice to signal their opposition &mdash; the Virginia state flag.<\/p>\n<p>Over 7,000 miles away from Richmond, the flag was flown by the mayor of Gwangju outside the City Hall. The appeal of the flag lies in the motto, &ldquo;Sic Semper Tyrannis,&rdquo; or &ldquo;Thus always to Tyrants,&rdquo; an ancient Latin phrase used in the U.S. during the Revolutionary War but better known as the cry of John Wilkes Booth after his assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the morning of arresting a tyrant, Yoon Suk Yeol,&rdquo; Gwangju Mayor Kang Gi-jung <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/kjkang21\/posts\/pfbid07d2yjHrTiNAtZisPdPfDzKML9APJC3fvyuMwFrMEtXpuVgHCaPZeHp5woFTyEcvgl?locale=ko_KR\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"wrote\">wrote<\/a> in a Facebook post on the day of Yoon&rsquo;s failed arrest.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/3236392\/rfk-jr-ultraprocessed-food-science\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>RFK JR. ON ULTRAPROCESSED FOOD: THE SCIENCE ON FOOD DYES, GLYPHOSPHATE, AND SEED OILS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gwangju.go.kr\/boardView.do?pageId=www789&amp;boardId=BD_0000000027&amp;seq=19104&amp;movePage=1&amp;recordCnt=15\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"press release\">press release<\/a> from Gwangju, the flag was gifted to the city by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) as a sign of appreciation for its hospitality after the reception of a Virginian delegation to discuss agricultural cooperation on Nov. 18. The flag had been previously flown at the state capitol in Richmond.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The state flag and certificate of appreciation sent by the Governor of Virginia have arrived,&rdquo; Kang was quoted as saying. &ldquo;The phrase written on the flag&hellip; is meaningful. It is a universal truth that those who abuse power will inevitably end up in ruin.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Jaechun Kim, a political scientist at Sogang University in Seoul,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/2025\/01\/05\/south-korea-protests-virginia-flag-gwangju\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"> told<\/a> the <em>Washington Post<\/em> that the use of the flag was more an appreciation of the slogan rather than an appreciation for Virginia.<\/p>\n<p>On the pro-Yoon side, many protesters see Trump as an ally and expect his intervention on their side.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In America, Trump was criticized a lot for his concerns about election fraud. &hellip; This is to appeal to that,&rdquo; Na Yoon-seop, 58, told the outlet outside of Yoon&rsquo;s residence. &ldquo;The moment Trump was elected, I thought things will finally get better again, so I cheered wholeheartedly.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3232125\/tom-cotton-next-powerbroker-senate-republicans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>TOM COTTON, THE SENATE GOP&rsquo;S NEXT POWERBROKER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Yoon&rsquo;s most loyal base shares some similarities with Trump&rsquo;s as well, consisting of many Evangelical Christians.<\/p>\n<p>Pyongyang, previously <a href=\"https:\/\/providencemag.com\/2016\/07\/jerusalem-east-american-christians-pyongyang\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"called\">called<\/a> the &ldquo;Jerusalem of the East,&rdquo; was once the center of Christianity in East Asia, nurtured largely by American Protestant missionaries. After the takeover by the atheistic communist regime of Kim Il-Sung, most North Korean Christians followed retreating American troops south during the Korean War, settling in South Korea. The influx contributed to South Korea developing some of the largest shares of Christians in all of East Asia.<\/p>\n<p>Those surviving and their descendants view the U.S. as their protector and responsible for South Korea&rsquo;s rise during the latter half of the 20th century. As in the U.S., Evangelical Christians are among the most conservative and most politically active demographics. They helped Yoon, also a Christian, stay afloat despite historically low approval ratings. The current crisis isn&rsquo;t the first time they have drawn parallels with political developments in the U.S., with Yoon&rsquo;s 2022 victory being compared to Trump&rsquo;s rise.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>On Dec. 4, Yoon&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3248716\/south-korean-president-agree-end-martial-law-parliament-vote\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">declared martial law<\/a>&nbsp;for the first time in South Korea since 1980 and for the first time since the country became a democracy. His rationale was alleged pro-North Korean interests taking control of parliament and other &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/south-korean-president-declares-martial-law-suspends-parliament\/\" title=\"South Korean President Declares Martial Law, Suspends Parliament\">anti-state&#038;rdquo<\/a>; forces. Immediately, opposition lawmakers rushed to the National Assembly, jumping over barricades and locking out special forces soldiers. Before the soldiers could enter the chamber, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/south-korea-impeaches-acting-leader-after-13-days-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"South Korea impeaches acting leader after 13 days - Washington Examiner\">parliament unanimously voted<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/south-korean-president-survives-impeachment-vote-over-martial-law\/\" title=\"South Korean President survives impeachment vote over &#039;martial law&#039;\">overturn martial law<\/a>, leading to its end six hours later.<\/p>\n<p>Yoon was impeached and removed from office, as was his successor shortly after. The South Korean government attempted to arrest Yoon on Friday, only to stand down following a six-hour standoff with his security detail.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1927989\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1927989\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>South Korean protesters use U.S. flags to show support amid crisis<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2653,"featured_media":2386577,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/South-Korea-MAGA.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[4007,34188,47935],"class_list":["post-2386576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-protesters","tag-south-korea","tag-us-flags"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/South-Korea-MAGA.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2386576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2386576"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2386576\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2386580,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2386576\/revisions\/2386580"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2386577"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2386576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2386576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2386576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}