In Hannam-dong, where the presidential residence is located in the Yongsan district of Seoul, large-scale rallies are held every day. Particularly, on the 5th, 20,000 people participated in pro and anti-Yoon Suk-yeol rallies. The roads in the Hannam-dong area, which connects Gangnam and Gangbuk, have become paralyzed with traffic. Trash overflowed as well. Local residents and small business owners noted, 'Hannam-dong is turning into a chaos.'
◇Hannam-dong, a 'hot place' sought after by 2030 women... merchants say, 'Regular customers are not coming due to the protests.'
Hannam-dong is recognized as a traditional affluent neighborhood and one of the 'hot places' frequented by the 2030 generation, with a concentration of cafes, restaurants, and clothing stores, alongside Seongsu-dong. However, on the 8th, upon visiting the area, signs reading 'No entry for outsiders' were placed in front of buildings. Cafes and restaurants have displayed signs stating 'Restroom not available' at their entrances.
Participants in the Hannam-dong rallies do not just shout slogans on the road; they also seek warmth and fill their stomachs at nearby cafes and restaurants. A merchant said, 'Customers who used to come are avoiding due to the protestors, causing a hit to our revenue.' A cafe operator, Kim (44), remarked, 'Perhaps due to the cold weather, customers who participated in the rallies are not leaving the cafe. The turnover rate has decreased, resulting in a drop in sales.' A 20-something part-time worker at a souvenir shop said, 'Participants in the rallies barging into any cafe-like establishment asking if they can enter might drive me to neurosis.'
◇According to the artificial intelligence (AI) commercial area analysis service 'OpenUp' operated by the fintech corporation 'Pinda,' out of a total revenue of 46.5 billion won recorded in Hannam-dong last November, the restaurant industry (23.5 billion won) and retail industry (11.5 billion won) contributed to three-quarters of the total. It’s said that half of the sales in the so-called 'Comme des Garçons Street' area, which houses Japanese clothing stores, come from women in their 20s and 30s. It is analyzed that protests for and against President Yoon, occurring during daytime when these women shop and visit cafes and restaurants, are causing a decrease in revenue.
◇Residents say, 'I hope people don’t curse or smoke,' while a rally participant says, 'Some inconvenience to the surroundings must be endured.'
Large-scale rallies are also being held near Hannam Elementary School. About 300 meters away, there is a children’s center operated by the Corporations Bank. A Corporations Bank union representative noted, 'The conditions for commuting have become very harsh. Employees have to leave home an hour earlier than usual to drop their kids off on time.'
Park Kyung-chul (67), who crosses Hannam-daero every day to drop his granddaughter off at the children’s center, said, 'I barely arrived after being told by police to 'turn back' due to the overwhelming number of rally participants on the way to the children’s center.' He added, 'My granddaughter is 5 years old, and I’m worried about the negative impact on her emotions from hearing the insults from the speakers on the podium. Other participants were smoking and spitting on the ground; I sincerely hope they would refrain from doing that.'
When rallies are held near the presidential residence, police block some lanes from Bukhanam Intersection in the north to Hannam Five-Way Intersection in the south, restricting vehicular movement. In this section, there is an access road to Seoul Hospital affiliated with Soonchunhyang University. This hospital sees an average of about 2,500 patients visiting daily.
On the 6th, Hwang (57), who met at Soonchunhyang University Hospital, said, 'I visit the hospital every two weeks for a chronic illness, and today I had to drive to near Aksu Station before taking the subway to the hospital.' A representative from Soonchunhyang University Hospital said, 'There have been no reported delays in ambulance arrivals due to traffic control yet, but there are concerns.'
In contrast, a rally participant, Seong-mo (72), said, 'We gathered to implement justice, so some level of inconvenience to the surroundings must be tolerated.'