-The Rose of Sharon –

The world receives a new flower of democracy—
a single blossom that has bloomed amid a fierce storm.

After December 3, 2024,*
even as snow begins to fall again,

one year has passed,
and we sit once more on the frozen asphalt,
singing the song of that day.
Lee Eun-mi declares:
“Korea rises again like the albatross.”

This foolish bird always waddles clumsily,
but when a storm that shakes the world begins,
it climbs to the cliff’s edge
and hurls itself forward without fear—
unfurling the largest wings on earth.

With a single beat of its wings it flies for a week,
and the legend that says it circles the earth
in sixty days
once again calls forth
the dawn of the East into brightness.

Kang Nam-soon—
theologian and anthropologist—
standing in the fierce winds
that sweep through the Korean church and seminary,
asks the question that matters most:
“How shall we live together?”

In asking it,
she becomes
one wing of the albatross

Helen Kim—
a historian of church and history—
steps into the Trans-Pacific age
and asks,
“How did Cold War South Korea
shape the American Evangelical empire?”

In raising the question,
she becomes
the albatross’s other wing.

At the hope of meeting again in Nicaea,
a thrill rises—
the churches of East and West
seek to walk beyond the darkness of division
toward the light of unity.
May they never decline again.

In the heart of the storm,
Hannah Arendt’s words return:
“The death of human empathy
is one of the earliest and most telling signs
of a culture about to fall into barbarism.”

And so the mugunghwa
at last meets its season and blooms in full.
Even when snowstorms howl,
it does not waver.
Albatros rises high above the clouds,
carrying the peace of the world
upon their wide-spread wings.
Do you not hear the song
of the land of morning calm—
the song of the mugunghwa?

____

*Declaration of Martial Law:
Around 10:20 p.m. on December 3, 2024, President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law, claiming it was necessary to “eliminate anti-state forces and break political deadlock.”

Deployment of Military and Police:
An hour later, the military and police surrounded the National Assembly and announced measures banning political party activities and the actions of members of the National Assembly.

Parliamentary Resistance:
Within about two hours, the National Assembly passed a resolution to lift martial law, and President Yoon withdrew the declaration six hours later.

Impeachment and Arrest:
Due to his attempt to impose martial law, President Yoon Suk-yeol was impeached, arrested, and indicted, ultimately stepping down from office.

Election of a New President:
Lee Jae-myung was subsequently elected president and announced that December 3, 2025, would be designated as “People’s Sovereignty Day.”

Crisis and Restoration of Democracy:
The incident is regarded as revealing both the vulnerability and the resilience of Korean democracy.

Power of Civic Resistance:
The swift resistance of citizens and the rapid response of the National Assembly neutralized the martial law attempt in a short time, becoming a symbolic moment in the defense of democracy.

Designation of a Commemorative Day:
Beginning in 2025, December 3 will be commemorated as “People’s Sovereignty Day.”

Summary:
December 3, 2024, is recorded in modern Korean history as a day when democracy was defended from a military threat by the people and the National Assembly. President Yoon Suk-yeol’s attempt at martial law ended in failure, yet the event revealed both the political divisions in Korean society and the enduring strength of its democratic resilience.

Note: This poem was written on December 3, 2025, one year after a pivotal moment in Korea’s modern democratic journey. The images of the albatross, the hibiscus, and the gathering storm reflect both the fragility and the enduring strength of a people who continue to rise through hardship.

The figures named here—scholars, historians, and voices of conscience—represent the guiding wings that help Korea navigate its storms with wisdom, courage, and a longing for unity. Their questions and struggles point us toward a deeper hope: that empathy may prevail over division, and that the dawn breaking in the East may shine with renewed peace.

May this poem stand as a quiet witness to resilience, solidarity, and the unfolding story of a nation still learning to soar.

© Tae-Hun Yoon, December 3, 2025