Why supporters of South Korea’s impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol are flying US flags
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The prominence of the US flag at conservative rallies reflects a complex intersection of religion, politics and identity that defines South Korea’s far-right movement. As investigators attempted to arrest president Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday morning, his supporters gathered outside the presidential residence waving two national flags: the South Korean Taegukgi alongside the American Stars and Stripes.
![[Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol wave Korean and US flags near his residence in Seoul]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/4c0ae63f2c8cfce6a625645094603c55a2d2f043/0_413_6192_3715/master/6192.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
To outsiders, the unexpected combination may seem baffling. But to Yoon’s supporters, America represents more than an ally: it’s a perceived ideal. The symbolism of the US flag is a declaration of a broader cultural and spiritual order they believe is under threat.
Holding both flags outside Yoon’s residence on Friday, 74-year-old Pyeong In-su said the police had to be stopped by “patriotic citizens” and he hoped US president-elect Donald Trump could come to Yoon’s aid. “I hope after Trump’s inauguration he can use his influence to help our country get back on the right track,” he said, as he waved both flags with the message: “Let’s go together” in English and Korean.
While pro-Yoon groups criticise their opponents as being subservient to North Korea, they openly venerate the United States. They frequently remind followers that the US liberated Korea from Japanese colonial rule and defended it during the Korean war of 1950-53, casting America as a divine protector of democracy embedded in Christian values.
