“If we do not win this time, it is over. Otherwise, all of us will end up in prison because we took part in the protests.”

The family of Amir Saman Tayerani (35) lost contact after they sent this message from Iran on the 8th. The Iranian authorities, who are suppressing the anti-government protests, have cut off the internet since the 8th, restricting connections to the outside. Tayerani, an Iranian who came to South Korea seven years ago, said, “The final messages from my family who joined the protests were full of determination yet chilling.”

Anti-government protests have continued across Iran for nearly three weeks. The protests that began on the 28th of last month when merchants in Tehran rallied against the collapse of the rial have gradually spread and escalated into demonstrations demanding the regime’s ouster.

The Kyunghyang Shinmun has, since the 13th, heard accounts of the situation inside Iran through phone and written interviews with Iranians residing in South Korea. Regarding the current protests, they vented anger at the Iranian authorities, saying, “The government is killing people and trying to silence them.”

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said on the 14th (local time) that at least 2,615 people had been killed in connection with the anti-government protests. The London-based opposition outlet Iran International also reported on the 13th that the death toll from the protests was at least 12,000. With Iran cutting off communications with the outside, an accurate tally of casualties is difficult.

Tayerani said, “The last family member I spoke with said they had to keep running in the streets to avoid being shot or arrested,” adding, “What the Iranian authorities are doing is not ‘riot control’ but systematic mass slaughter.” A (51), an Iranian who became a naturalized Korean, said, “When I spoke with an acquaintance last week, they said the protests had not let up and many people had died,” adding, “Even if the death toll is not 12,000 but 120, or 12, or even one, it is unbearably heartbreaking and makes me cry.”

As the unrest drags on for weeks, chaos is unfolding across cities, with bereaved families searching for the bodies of their loved ones. Pastor Park Sima (65), an Iranian serving at Onnuri Church in Seoul, said, “I hear that in the midst of bodies piling up like a mountain, authorities are demanding $3,500 (about 5.13 million KRW) from bereaved families seeking to reclaim the remains of their relatives,” adding, “Even in a war with another country, this many people would not die in such a short time.”

The current anti-government protests were triggered by severe economic hardship, including a surging exchange rate. Late last year, the rial fell to a record low against the dollar, and prices rose 40 percent year-on-year. B (27), who has lived in South Korea for two years, said, “Because of the harsh and across-the-board U.S. sanctions, economic hardship and inflation are causing great suffering for the Iranian people,” adding, “The only people maintaining wealth in Iran are those whose work is tied to the dollar.”

Pastor Park said, “Prices have soared to the point where an egg costs about 2,000 won, so people hesitate to buy even a single egg, and they cannot buy formula or diapers for their children at all.” The family of A in Iran also considered emigrating just before the protests broke out because of livelihood difficulties. A said, “My younger sibling said a typical office worker’s monthly salary is about 150,000 to 170,000 won, while monthly rent is around 200,000 won,” adding, “It was heartbreaking to hear that, because of the poor economic situation, some women are resorting to sex work to make ends meet.”

They noted that Reza Pahlavi, the last crown prince of Iran’s monarchy, has come to the fore in these protests, expressing hope that “this will be different from the 2022 hijab protests.” On the 6th, Pahlavi encouraged participation in the protests, and since then some demonstrators are said to be calling for his return and the restoration of the monarchy. Pastor Park said, “These protests are completely different from the hijab protests in that there is a leader.” Tayerani said, “During the hijab protests, we had the will to overthrow the regime but lacked concrete hope,” adding, “Now it is different. With Crown Prince Pahlavi urging action, a clear demand for regime change is gaining momentum.”

Some are skeptical that the protests can topple Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, and the theocratic system. A said, “Because it is a country with a system different from other democracies, there will be limits,” adding, “For the regime to be overthrown, it seems there would have to be foreign intervention or people taking up arms and coming out into the streets.”