A banner celebrating the dismissal of former President Yoon Suk-yeol is hung on the outer wall of Hyangrin Church in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on April 7.

Hyangrin Church in Jongno-gu, Seoul, announced the closure of its night shelter following the dismissal of former President Yoon Suk-yeol from office. The church, which had served as a gathering place for protesters for 25 days from March 11 until the morning of April 3, when the Emergency Action for the Immediate Removal of Yoon Suk-yeol and Social Reform began holding rallies, announced the “joyful closure.”

In total, about 300 people visited the church during this period. The rooms for infants, children, and youth, the only places in the church with floor heating, served as shelters and communal spaces for those who attended the rallies. The church filled its shower rooms with towels for the people, and prepared food, such as cup noodles, to warm their hungry stomachs. In the sleeping area, there were designated spaces for men and women, as well as a gender-neutral area. People who participated in the vigils usually stayed here from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. the next day.

Even on the day before the court ruling on Yoon's impeachment, 31 people visited the shelter. Choi Pil-soo, an elder of the church who oversaw the shelter’s operation, said, “We prepared this space with the hope that citizens coming from outside the city could rest comfortably in a warm place, rather than pulling a tin foil blanket over their head.” He added, “We are grateful to the citizens who came out to the square in the cold.”

After Yoon's dismissal, the emergency action posted an announcement on its social media account, notifying that the night shelter would be closing. In response, people expressed their gratitude with comments like “I owe you so much” and “I was able to sleep warmly and safely. Thank you.”

Mr. Lim (24), who had been regularly attending rallies in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun over the past three weeks, said, “I came up from Gangwon Province for rallies, and as someone with no money, the shelter was a huge help. What I remember most is talking about democracy with the people I stayed with. Hyangrin Church wasn’t just a place to sleep, but was a space for connection and solidarity.” Kim Bora (34), who visited the church whenever she attended rallies, said, “I was always warmly welcomed, and I’m very grateful for that. I used to have a bias against Protestant churches because of some far-right actions, but this experience made me realize, ‘There is a church like this,’”

Hyangrin Church served as a base for the pro-democracy movement in Myeongdong, Seoul, during the June Democratic Struggle in 1987. It even hosted the founding assembly of the National Democracy Movement Headquarters for the uprising. Since then, the church has continued to stand in solidarity with various marginalized groups in society, including migrants and laborers. Originally located in Myeongdong, it was forced to relocate due to redevelopment and established its new home in Gwanghwamun in May 2023. After the emergency martial law declaration on December 3 last year, the emergency action held a press conference to announce its establishment at the church. Ki Dong-seo, an official from Hyangrin Church said in an interview on April 7, “The first worship service after Yoon’s dismissal began with hurrah for Yoon’s impeachment. Being driven out of Myeongdong by redevelopment led us to Gwanghwamun, where we could help citizens. Even that displacement feels like part of God’s will.”

“Sharing with citizens is the church’s responsibility in this era,” Ki said. “Even in a world like this, we wanted to fulfill the church’s mission of being the light and salt of the world. With a heart of generosity, we opened booths in the square to serve tea and opened our church space to the public.” He continued, “Thanks to the support we received from citizens, it feels like the joy we gained far outweighed the joy we gave.”

Hyangrin Church plans to continue its solidarity activities after the impeachment. “Now that Yoon’s resignation has been finalized, we want to build a world that upholds the church’s values of freedom and equality and a world without war and full of love,” Ki said. “We will actively support issues related to marginalized communities, such as solidarity with Palestine, enacting anti-discrimination laws, and protecting the environment.”