Whenever big society issues arise, Gwanghwamun square located in Seoul is always crowded with people holding candles. The candlelight vigil is unique to Korean culture and is hardly ever found in other countries.

 The candle light in the candlelight vigil represents sacrifice. As the candle burns its own body and emits light to make the surroundings brighter. Also, though a candle’s light can be extinguished by a light breeze, at the same time it brightens the whole world when placed together and while does not lose its light even in the dark. In this sense, that can be interpreted into a symbol of unity and dreams. Further, a candlelight vigil is not seen as a threatening act, rather it implies the peaceful demonstration that the even the weak can take part in.

 Surprisingly, candlelight vigils are categorized as a cultural festival to avoid conflicts with the law. According to the law, it is not allowed to do outdoor rallies or demonstrations after dark, whereas cultural events are the exception.

 The starting point of candlelight vigils traces back to 2002. When the whole country was enthusiastic about the World Cup, two girls were killed by a U.S. armored car. However, the driver was found not guilty in the accident and this result made angry people hold candlelight rallies to find the truth and honor the memory of the girls.

 After this, the candlelight vigil was held to oppose the impeachment of president Roh in 2004 and to protest the import of American beef that may have been contaminated with mad cow disease in 2008. The past rallies expressed political bias and aroused anger, but recently it has become a means for citizens to express their political opinions as part of the Korean democratic process.

 Participants are changing, too. From middle school students to housewife pushing a baby carriage, more and more people considered to be “weak” appear. There are assessments that the diversity of participants shows real sovereign power.

 And finally November 12, the biggest ever candlelight line brightened the downtown areas of Seoul. With an estimated 1 million protestors, the demonstration on November 12 was the biggest ever held, surpassing the seven hundred thousand who protested against American beef imports in 2008. However, official police estimates continue to under report attendance at the events claiming that only 260,000 protesters turned up for the event.

 The protesters shouted slogans, encouraged each other and picked up trash. They showed high sense of responsibility. They also enjoyed cultural performances during the candlelight vigil.

 In the field, some participants broadcast live across the country using mobile devices. Actually a lot of people watched the scene live through social media services like Facebook, Twitter and so on. Now, live broadcasts have become part of candlelight vigils.

 The people's interest and participation creates a better future for Korea. Candlelight vigils voluntarily gather people expressing their opinion peacefully continues today and will last into the future.

L.L.F. editor-in-chief Yu-Jin Kim