"That is why this government has put together a serious plan to take down these networks at every stage."
"I felt like all the frustration that has built up inside me just burst forth," says 23-year-old Kim Saeyeon . "I believe that's why so many young women turned up. They wanted to express all that dissatisfaction."For 26-year-old Lee Jinha, it was the desire to see Yoon go: "I tried to go every week. It wasn't easy. It was incredibly cold, super crowded, my legs hurt and I had a lot of work to do… but it was truly out of a sense of responsibility."
That is not surprising, according to Go Min-hee, associate professor of political science at Ewha Women's University, who says Yoon had the reputation of being "anti-feminist" and had "made it clear he was not going to support policies for young women".There were protests on the other side too, backing Yoon and his martial law order. Throughout, many young South Korean men have supported Yoon, who positioned himself as a champion of theirs, mirroring their grievances in his presidential campaign in 2022.These men consider themselves victims of "reverse discrimination", saying they feel marginalised by policies that favour young women. One that is often cited is the mandatory 18 months they must spend in the military, which they believe puts them at a severe disadvantage compared to women.
They label as "man haters" those women who call themselves feminists. And they have been at the heart of a fierce online backlash against calls for greater gender equality.These groups have long existed, mostly out of the public eye. But over the years they moved closer to the mainstream as their traction online grew, especially under Yoon.
It was them that Yoon appealed to in his campaign pledges, vowing to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, saying it focused too much on women's rights.
And he consistently denied systemic gender inequality existed in South Korea, which ranks near the bottom on the issue among developed countries."Young audiences bring with them a lot of energy. A lot of energy," he said.
For Haydn, that childhood encounter with Springsteen has encouraged him to want to perform, and he is now an actor, appearing in the CBBC football drama Jamie Johnson.He also sings and plays guitar, inspired by his hero.
"I don't just I love him because my parents love him," he said."I've got my own path with him now, I've got my own story and it's why I listen to the songs and the albums.