It's minus degrees and the last autumn leaves are falling on Seoul's streets. Neither Shin Heesoo nor Kim Namkyung has slept since South Korea's president shocked the world with a state of emergency that lasted six hours.
The sleep deprivation doesn't stop them from demonstrating outside the parliament when the clock has passed midnight local time.
The shock has worn off and now I feel mostly angry. I'm too angry to sleep and then I might as well be here, says Shin Heesoo.
Sorrowful days
Kim Namkyung believes that the sorrow will hit with full force in a few days.
For many who lived when Korea was not a democracy, it has been some sorrowful days. Younger people may have had a harder time understanding what has actually happened.
Wednesday was characterized by a gigantic demonstration march through Seoul's streets up to the parliament. At midnight, the only thing that testifies to yesterday's demonstrations is a pair of stacked barricades.
Outside the parliament, which is guarded around the clock, police officers happily tell when the next demonstration will be held.
The positive thing is that it feels like we are many who stand united in this issue, says Kim Namkyung.
"All welcome"
Only a few of the night's demonstrators knew each other beforehand.
It wasn't organized or anything, I just think we were a few who felt that we couldn't sit at home and came here. But now we've become friends. Really good friends, actually, says Kim Namkyung.
To survive the night's cold, they have brought "hot packs", which is a hand-sized heat pad that can keep warm for several hours.
Passers-by are offered a "hot pack" if they choose to stay and join the silent demonstration.
All are welcome, says Kim Namkyung.
South Korea's president Yoon Suk-Yeol, who belongs to the conservative party People's Party (PPP), introduced a state of emergency in the evening of December 3 to protect the country from "communist forces".
During the night towards December 4, the parliament, with the Democratic Party (DP) in majority, voted to repeal the war laws, and the state of emergency was declared invalid.
President Yoon Suk-Yeol later announced in a televised speech that he would lift the state of emergency, which lasted a total of around six hours.
The opposition now wants to bring the president to trial and the country's largest trade union has called for a general strike until he resigns.
