March 26, 2025
SEOUL – With the Constitutional Court’s decision on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment taking longer than anticipated, Korean literary figures, including Nobel laureate Han Kang, publicly called for his removal Tuesday.
“I believe in the values of life, freedom and peace, which must never be compromised. Removal is about safeguarding universal values,” Han said in a written statement.
Han was among 414 prominent authors who joined the call by each writing a statement. They include novelists Eun Hee-kyung, Kim Yeon-su, Kim Cho-yeop, Kim Ho-yeon and Park Sang-young; poets Kim Hyesoon, Kim Sa-in, O Eun and Hwang In-chan; and literary critic Shin Hyoung-cheol.
“I wish to live in a democratic world,” declared novelist Jung Bo-ra. “Punish the ringleader of rebellion and build a society of equality,” demanded novelist Eun Hee-kyung, while literary critic Oh Youn-kyung wrote, “Delayed justice is not justice. Impeach Yoon Suk Yeol immediately.”
In a separate move, the Writers Association of Korea gathered in front of the protest camp at Gwanghwamun in central Seoul Tuesday afternoon and issued an emergency declaration signed by 2,487 literary figures from across the country.
The declaration emphasized that “the delay in the Constitutional Court’s decision has intensified societal conflict, allowing riots to gain traction under the justification of the ‘right to resist,’ with psychological tensions now threatening severe confrontation. The political turmoil has severely impacted the economy, evident from widespread small business closures and growing instability in daily life. Additionally, the democratic credibility Korea has painstakingly built over decades is now under international scrutiny.”
“A swift impeachment ruling from the Constitutional Court is therefore urgently needed to resolve both our domestic crises and to repair international reputational damage,” the statement added.
Founded in 1974 and initially known as the Council of Writers for Freedom and Practice, the Writers Association of Korea was established by writers advocating for democracy, freedom of expression and human rights under the authoritarian Park Chung-hee regime. It adopted its current name in 1987.
Poet Song Kyung-dong, the secretary-general of WAK, who has been on a hunger strike since March 11 calling for Yoon’s impeachment, was rushed to the hospital Tuesday afternoon after his health rapidly deteriorated.
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