The world is burning. Climate change is now an indisputable fact which has been supported by countless scientific experiments and research. This global crisis has various implications such as food insecurity, rising sea levels, and extreme weather conditions. More and more people are becoming victims of this catastrophe. While South Korea is not a country known for its strides in combating this, there have been recent cases where Korean citizens have raised their voices to demand change and policies on mitigating climate change. The “Climate Justice March” is where these voices shined through.

The first official march against climate change in Korea took place on 21 Sept. 2019, and was named “Climate Crisis Emergency Action.” Then, followed the “9.24 Climate Justice March.” A year later on 23 Sept. 2023, the most recent march called 9.23 Climate Justice March’’ was held at Seoul Metro’s City Hall station. It involved event booths, an open mic where people could share their climate change-related experiences, and the march itself.

I learned about this event through social media and decided to participate. Before entering the event, I had no expectations of what the march was going to be like. I simply thought that this would be a general outcall to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and to mitigate further environmental destruction. But mere minutes into the march, I noticed that there were many diverse groups, each with a distinct vision. The labor union fought for the improvement of deadly working conditions in the extreme heat. The disabled community expressed their frustrations about their difficulties in evacuating during floods and demanded proper adaptation strategies. There were even families that participated together to preserve a future for their children. Elementary school children and teenagers were also spotted fighting for their future. While the demands of each individual differed, they marched together as one. This was a beautiful yet disheartening scene, since the underlying reason behind this apparent unification was climate change’s widespread effects.

During the march, I observed a group of elementary schoolers walking and leading chants such as “inequality is a disaster, equality is needed to live together!” and “stop nuclear power and switch to renewables!” These were some of the many chants written on pamphlets that were handed out before the march. These children went as far as to passionately chant for the impeachment of South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol, which came across as a shock. The people surrounding these children were also surprised at their enthusiasm and followed the chants that they led. I heard an elderly person say to them that they would become bright leaders who would bring significant change to Korea’s future. Seeing these children, who were young but unafraid to voice their opinions, gave me hope for South Korea’s fight against climate change. I also gained motivation to learn from them and to fight to my fullest.

Some may question the effectiveness of these marches and whether or not they create real change in policy-making. However, the 30,000 participants did not go unnoticed by the media. Even after the event, there were a myriad of social media posts and articles used to inform even more people of this event. The physical and online voices of citizens combined undoubtedly had social influence—further pressuring authorities to implement change. While there’s still more to be accomplished, the Climate Justice March set a promising stage for leaders to fight against climate change in South Korea.