"Take Coffee and Porridge" Netizens' 'Prepayment Solidarity' Relay Near the National Assembly

Prepaid Snacks Continue for Protest Participants

A 'prepayment relay' is taking place to prepay snacks and other items for participants in the rally held in front of the National Assembly ahead of the impeachment vote on President Yoon Seok-yeol.

On the afternoon of the 7th, numerous citizens gathered in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, filling the surrounding roads during the "Treason Yoon Seok-yeol Resignation! Realization of People's Sovereignty! Great Social Reform! Nationwide Candlelight March." Photo by Yonhap News

On the 7th, posts appeared on social networking service (SNS) X (formerly Twitter) stating that cafes, bakeries, and restaurants near the National Assembly had been prepaid, encouraging rally participants to use them. The posts included information such as the prepaid items, the names and locations of the prepaid stores, and pickup times. For example, some posts attached maps captured from navigation apps to help find the stores easily, saying things like, "I prepaid 50 cups of warm Americano and 30 cups of yuzu black tea. Just tell them you are participating in the protest and take one each." Most added that due to personal circumstances or being abroad, they could not attend the rally but wanted to contribute in spirit.

The items handed out to protesters via prepayment are diverse. They range from coffee and fatigue recovery drinks to meals such as hamburgers, porridge, rice cakes, kimchi stew, and gukbap (soup with rice). There were also posts saying that hot packs were prepared at prepaid stores for people to take.

This is interpreted as an evolution of the 'solidarity method' from the 1980s, when citizens supporting protests handed water and pocket money to students fleeing tear gas, now adapted to the times by utilizing online platforms.

A citizen informed that they prepaid at a cafe near the National Assembly for participants in the protest held in front of the National Assembly ahead of the vote on the impeachment motion against President Yoon Seok-yeol. Photo captured from X (formerly Twitter).

From the afternoon of the 7th, posts certifying "I received and drank prepaid coffee" also appeared. Additionally, reports from protest sites nationwide conveyed that citizens sharing coffee and food were lining up one after another. Netizens responded with comments such as, "I express deep respect and gratitude for your steadfast progress even in the cold and difficult moments," "I hope you feel a little more filled inside," and "Cheering for you from afar."

Meanwhile, opposition parties including the Democratic Party announced that they would push for the impeachment vote on President Yoon around 5 p.m. on the 7th, the first weekend after the '12.3 Emergency Martial Law Declaration.' Prior to this, various civic and social organizations had announced large-scale impeachment rallies around the National Assembly in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.

President Yoon made his first public statement four days after the emergency martial law declaration through a national address at 10 a.m. that day. The approximately 1 minute and 50 seconds-long address included statements such as, "The emergency martial law declaration stemmed from the president's sense of urgency," "There will be no second martial law," and "I will entrust the ruling party with measures to stabilize the political situation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.